The Djinn Dilema
by ladyhawk89
Summary: When Zuko's archaeologist uncle sends him an artifact from a dig, Zuko can't imagine that it would change his life. Katara is now his djinn and she grants him fifteen wishes, but what's a brooding rich boy to wish for?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Zuko glared at the concrete slabs beneath his feet. The heat of the early summer was already unbearable and Zuko's long dark jeans weren't helping matters. Around him, people passed, but he didn't give them more than a passing glance. He just wanted to be home, in the comfort of his room, ignoring the homework he would inevitably stay up all night finishing. Zuko scowled at that thought and walked a bit faster when he saw the gleaming sky rise where lived. He went into the lobby greeted the doorman with an unintelligible grunt. He dove for the elevator and pressed the button to the penthouse where his family lived.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the doors slid shut and the elevator rose quickly to the top floor. A few minutes later, the doors opened again onto Zuko's floor. The penthouse was the only apartment on the floor and the hallway leading to the door was long, narrow, and minimally decorated. The door itself was a dark ebony color at the end of the crimson and cream passage. Zuko had to suppress a shudder when the elevator doors closed behind him. He felt like a prisoner marching to his cell…or execution. But, like so many days before, he shook the feeling off and went over his list homework assignments in his head.

When he got to his room, Zuko spread his work out neatly in front of him; four piles for each class. There was little actual work to do, but Zuko planned to spend the evening going over notes and studying for an upcoming economics test. Zuko hesitated for a moment, not sure where he wanted to start. Finally he picked up his World Myths and Legends text book and opened to the assigned reading. The class was the least important to his business major, but the most interesting of the semester. Zuko picked it on a whim as his elective. The fact that it irritated his father was just a bonus.

The reading for the day was a legend that had existed for thousands of years, about people who could control the elements of earth, fire, water and air using what would become modern martial arts. Zuko and his sister were both well trained in the form that was associated with fire bending. According to the legend, the different countries of the world had split based around the elements of the masters, or benders- as they were called- and that was the supposed origin of the different nations. Zuko scoffed at that. His theory was that the names of the countries was the responsibility of some unimaginative bureaucrats a few centuries ago. He only needed to step outside of his air conditioned apartment building to know why this was called the Fire Nation. The chapter explained that folk history claims that the ability to manipulate the elements was mysteriously and suddenly lost about five hundred years ago. Zuko continued reading the rest of the chapter and made his notes before he moved on to the next assignment.

A knock at the door pulled Zuko out of his work. He was still the only one home. He decided to ignore whoever was at the door and went back to his work. A few moments later there was another knock. And another one a few moments after that. Finally, Zuko gave up and went to go see who was there. He opened the door just in time to see the elevator doors shut, but not to see who was in it. Zuko turned to go back inside, when something caught his eye. In front of the door was a package. The doorman or some other custodial worker must have delivered it, since Zuko's father wasn't one to regularly check the front desk for packages. Zuko picked it up and saw that it was addressed to him, from his uncle. He studied the box intrigued. His uncle was an archeologist and always sent him the most interesting things.

Once he was inside, Zuko rushed to his room with the box tucked securely under his arm and placed it on his desk. He laid he book bag neatly beside his bed and opened up the box. Inside there was another package tucked into packing foam with a letter lying on top. Zuko opened that first. It was a short letter and Zuko scanned his uncle's neat writing quickly.

_Dear Nephew,_

_I hope all is well at home. I miss you terribly, but the adventure of a new dig is, as always, a soothing balm for my heart_- Zuko snorted at his uncle's sentimentality, and continued reading._ I found this on a dig near Ba Sing Se. It isn't worth much to the museums and universities I work with, but _I _thought it was a delightful little trinket. I want you to have it. Sorry, I didn't have a chance to clean it first, but who knows when I would have been able to send it otherwise. I will be back home in a few months. _

_Yours,_

_Uncle Iroh_

Zuko put the letter carefully back into its envelope and tucked it away in his desk. The he pulled out the package, which was wrapped in plain brown paper and twine. Zuko ripped the string and paper off and found inside the box, a small clay pot with a lid. It was, as his uncle had warned him, quite dirty, but beneath the greyish brown dirt, Zuko could see that the pot was stained red with a white floral design. Zuko scratched off some of the dirt with his thumbnail before grabbing a tee shirt out of his hamper to wipe the rest of it off with. There was a strange, dank smell that he stirred up with the action, but it wasn't altogether unpleasant; just old.

"_Thank _you!" Zuko spun around quickly and found a strange girl standing behind him. "You would not believe how difficult it is to be trapped in there for so long." Zuko dropped the pot and reached for the first weapon he could find; a large umbrella that he kept near his door.

"Who are you?" he demanded. The girl ignored him and dove for the pot. The soft carpet on his floor had kept it from any serious damage, but the girl looked at him agitatedly.

"Be _careful_ with this!" she scolded him, scooping up the pot and lid in her hands. "Honestly! What would I have done if it had broken?"

"Who _are_ you?" Zuko asked once more, this time more confused than angry. The girl stood up and bowed slightly.

"I am the djinn that sleeps in the-er-pot," she informed him. Zuko studied the girl before him, taking in her odd appearance. She was dark, like the inhabitants of the Northern and Southern poles, but she was dressed in a blue gi that hadn't been worn by either nation for at least a couple of centuries. Her long brown hair was in a single braid down her back and she had to weird looking loops framing her face. She seemed to be around Zuko's age; maybe a year or two younger. She didn't seem to find it at all odd that she had come into his home unannounced, something that shouldn't have even been possible with the level of security his father paid for. The only logical conclusion he could arrive at was that the girl was either deranged, or someone come to kidnap him for ransom. Zuko frowned and looked her over again. She didn't appear to be armed and he was fairly certain he could take the much smaller girl in a fight. She couldn't have been a kidnapper- but, Zuko thought, you could never be too careful.

He swung at her with the umbrella. The girl jumped back just in time and looked at him indignantly.

"Now you wait just a minute," she said angrily. "I will not be treated like-" Zuko took another swing at her, but this time, instead of jumping out of the way, the girl disappeared. Zuko stared at the spot where she had been standing in shock.

"Di-did that just-" he stuttered out loud. He looked around the room wildly, suspecting some sort of trick, but he was alone in the room. There was no sign that the girl had even been there. Zuko threw the umbrella aside and rushed into the bathroom. He clung tightly to the marble edges of the sink. After a few moments, he turned on the water and splashed cool water on his face and neck.

"This is just some crazy dream," Zuko muttered. He looked up into the mirror and stared into the mirror at his own face to try to ground himself in reality. He was his own normal reflection. Dark hair. Amber eyes. An angry red scar covering half of his face. Everything was normal. He took a deep breath. "It was just a dream. I didn't see that."

"But you aren't asleep." Zuko turned around and hit his back painfully against the sink. The blue clad young woman sat on the back of the toilet and watched him amusedly.

"You aren't real!" Zuko said forcefully. The girl blinked before she smiled slyly at him.

"So what you're saying is," she said, putting a hand thoughtfully on her chin, "is that I'm in your head and you're going crazy."

"N-no," Zuko backtracked quickly. "I'm sleeping and you're some sort of bizarre dream brought on by too much junk food." The girl frowned at him for a long moment, and then, faster than Zuko could see, she reached out and pinched him hard on the arm. Zuko cried in pain and cradled his arm to him.

"Well, I'm still here," the girl said. "So I can't be a dream. So all that remains is that you're crazy _or_ I'm really here." Zuko stared at her silently. She was right, and he was unwilling to believe that he was going crazy.

"Who are you?" he asked her at last. The girl hopped off of the toilet and stood up as tall as she could-which was still nearly a head shorter than Zuko- and looked at him dead in the eye.

"My name is Katara," she said proudly. "I am a djinn."

"….A what?" Zuko asked. He stared at her confusedly. Katara rolled her eyes and shook her head, and she explained slowly as if she were speaking to a simpleton.

"I am a djinn. A spirit. More specifically, I am a wishbringer." Realization dawned on Zuko's face.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "A djinn! Like a genie, right?" Katara made a face at the word, but nodded.

"Sure," she said. "Go with that."

"Prove it," Zuko challenged, crossing his arms.

"_Prove_ it?" Katara's mouth fell open. "I just appeared out of thin air. _Prove_ it?" Zuko nodded with a defiant smirk. "Fine."

She straightened up and moved a little away from Zuko. She held her arms out and her blue eyes took on an ethereal glow. A phantom wind blew the bathroom door open, the cabinet behind the mirror began to slam open and shut. Katara's braid came undone and her hair blew around her wildly. Her feet slowly left the ground and she levitated the four feet to the ceiling.

"I am Katara of the Djinn," she said in an otherworldly voice. It echoed through the tiled bathroom and Zuko held his hands to his ears. "I am more powerful than you can imagine. I can give you all of you wildest dreams, but it comes at a cost. Beware of thoughtless wishes and vain pursuits, Zuko, or they will be your end!"

Zuko screwed his eyes shut as a blinding light filled the bathroom for an instant and then faded. When Zuko opened his eyes, Katara was once again perched on the back of the toilet, her hair once more in its tidy braid with the weird looking loops framing her face. She was looking at him with a small, innocent smile playing on her lips. Zuko's frightened gaze made her smile wider.

"I think I believe you," he managed to whisper.

"Good!" Katara said, surprisingly chipper. "That makes this a lot easier. I'm sure you have some questions for me."

"Um…" Zuko looked around them awkwardly. "Can we do this in the living room?" Katara followed his gaze confusedly but shrugged and stood up.

"As you wish," she said. Zuko's eyes widened.

"Wait, does this count as a wish?" he asked her. Katara looked at him over her shoulder and snorted disdainfully, but left without another word. Zuko didn't ask again. Katara lead the way out into the living room and sat on the plush suede couch. She looked out of the high rise apartment's picture windows at the city lights below, impressed.

"Well, I'm sure riches won't be your first wish," she commented. Katara looked over at Zuko who was still standing awkwardly in the doorway of the living room. She raised an eyebrow at him and patted the couch next to her. "Have a seat."

Zuko walked over stiffly and sat at the other end of the couch. Katara swung around to face him, pulling up her knees and resting her chin on them. Zuko was suddenly struck by the fact that he was alone with a very attractive girl. It wasn't a situation he was used to. He cleared his throat nervously and tried to appear calm.

"Um…"he started. Katara looked at him expectantly. "So how does this work? Do I get the three wish deal?" Katara shook her head vigorously.

"No," she explained. "That's a lower level djinn. I'm more powerful than that. I can grant you fifteen wishes." She took another look around the lavish room.

"_Fifteen_?" Zuko asked incredulously. Katara nodded solemnly.

"There are some restrictions," she said. "I can't make people fall in love with you, or hate you or manipulate their emotions. I can't kill anyone and I can't bring anyone back from the dead. I _can_, however, make the sick better, heal injuries, and so on."

"Ok."

"I also can't make something from nothing." When Katara saw Zuko looking at her in confusion, she explained, "If you ask for something if has to come from somewhere. Money, clothes, cars, et cetera, have to come from somewhere. That mostly won't affect you though, unless you ask for something rare or really big. It will come up stolen if it's too important."

Zuko sat silently, considering everything Katara had said. He looked up to ask her another question, but he heard the front door of the penthouse apartment open and a few moments later Azula, his younger sister walked into the living room. Zuko blanched and stared at her, unsure of how to explain the strangely dressed girl on their sofa. Azula was silent for a few seconds, before her delicate mouth curled up into a cruel smirk.

This was it, Zuko thought. Azula would surely realize something was up. Zuko had to suppress a shudder at the thought of what Azula would do if she found out that Katara was a living, breathing, honest to goodness genie-er, djinn. He racked his mind for a plausible explanation for the exotic looking, oddly dressed girl, but Azula spoke before he could find one.

"Don't tell me my brother has finally found someone not absolutely disgusted by the sight of him," she said, sneering at him. "Did you have to pay her?" Zuko was about to retort, but Katara beat him to the punch. She got off the couch and went over to shake Azula's hand. To Zuko's immense surprise, instead of the blue gi she had been wearing a second ago, she was in normal looking jeans and a light blue sweater.

"I'm Katara," she introduced herself. Azula gave her a halfhearted hand shake, as if she were hesitant for even that much contact with the girl. "I'm your new neighbor. I live downstairs."

"I see," Azula said, disinterestedly. She folded her arms and looked past Katara to Zuko who was still gaping at Katara from the couch. "Close your mouth. You look more Neanderthal than normal. Dad called. He's going to be home late. I'm going out. You're on your own for dinner." She left without waiting for a reply. A moment later the front door closed again. Katara turned back to Zuko, frowning.

"She's…pleasant," she said, without much conviction. Zuko laughed mirthlessly.

"She's a psychotic sociopath," he said. "How did your clothes change?" Katara raised an eyebrow and her clothes ripped, turning back into the blue gi.

"I haven't been back in the world for too long, but I assume this is no longer how people dress, correct?" Zuko nodded dumbly and Katara changed her clothes back. "I'm supposed to be a secret. It'll be easier if I blend in. Djinn have an innate knack for blending."

Katara sat back on the couch and curled her legs back up as she stared at Zuko curiously.

"Tell me about yourself," she ordered more than asked.

"Um…I guess you already know I'm Zuko," he said. Katara favored him with a deadpan gaze and he felt his face flush. "I'm twenty years old. Um…I go to the university, third year. I'm studying business…."

"Ok, I'm bored," Katara cut in. "Tell me about the scar." Zuko's hand flew up to the disfiguring scar that took up the left side of his face. He felt anger welling up in his stomach. How could this girl, this _stranger_ ask so lightly about something that was a constant source of shame and insecurity for him. He snarled, ready to berate Katara for such an insensitive question, when he was suddenly hit with realization.

"I want it gone," he said. "I wish my scar was gone." Katara gave him a strange look.

"Are you sure?"

"What do you mean, am I sure?" he asked incredulously. "Wouldn't you want it gone." Katara looked at him for a long while and finally shrugged.

"Maybe," she said. "But what does that have to do with you? I actually think it makes you look mysterious and dark. Like the hero in one of those romances that were so popular last century. It makes you interesting. Dashing." Zuko's eyes widened in surprise at that. No one had ever said that about his scar. Of course, no one really had much of a chance. Zuko wasn't very social.

"Do you really think so?" he asked. Katara nodded and fiddled with the end of her hair nonchalantly.

"Unless something suddenly changed since the last time I was out," she said, unraveling the long braid, "you're the type of guy a lot of girls fantasize about. All brooding and dark." She looked up at him, suddenly, amused. "I'll bet you have a line of girls waiting for you to notice them, but you're too wrapped up in self-pity to notice."

"Self-pity…!" Zuko protested loudly, suddenly angry again. But Katara wasn't fazed.

"In fact, if you didn't have that scar, you'd be just a pretty faced whiner," she said matter-of-factly. Zuko had the strangest feeling she wasn't insulting him so much as analyzing him. "Insufferable. If I were you, I'd hold off on wishing that scar away. Besides, how would you explain it's being gone?"

"Well…I mean…couldn't make so no one remembered I had it?" he asked. Katara shook her head vehemently.

"That would involve changing the past," she explained. "Theoretically it could be done, but the results could be disastrous, and there's only one djinn in the world with that type of power, but he's just a legend. The most _I_ can do is change the recent past, at most a year. If I remove your scar, people will still remember you had it, unless you just got it a year ago." Zuko reached up again to feel the marred flesh. It felt wrinkled, but smooth under his fingers.

"I've had it since I was thirteen," he told her. Katara looked at him expectantly, and Zuko realized she wanted the whole story. "I don't really want to talk about it." Katara pouted in disappointment, but didn't press further.

"Alright," she said. "Do you still want me to remove the scar?" Zuko thought for a moment. He really did want the scar gone, but he needed a way to explain it first. It didn't _need_ to be his first wish. After all, he had fifteen.

"I guess it can wait," he said. Katara looked relieved, and Zuko wondered at her bizarre fascination with his scar.

"Good!" she clapped her hands delightedly. "So, do you _have_ anything you want to wish for?"

"Um…" Zuko thought a bit before a wish came to him. "I wish I had some friends." Immediately, he realized how pathetic that sounded and his face flushed beet red as he waited for derisive laughter from Katara.

"As you wish," she said. Zuko blinked in surprise. She hadn't even cracked a smile at that. The same girl who had talked him out of wishing away his scar. But Zuko pushed it to the back of his mind. He waited for something to happen, but Katara had gone back to playing with her half unbraided hair.

"Um…" he said after a while. "Shouldn't something be happening?" Katara looked at him reproachfully.

"You do that an awful lot, you know," she said disapprovingly.

"What?" Zuko asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Say 'um'," she told him. "It's not very attractive." She finished with the braid and finger combed her hair. It fell in thick brown waves to her waist and Zuko had to resist the sudden urge to touch it. He frowned and jammed his hands under his thighs.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Still, did you grant my wish?"

"Mmm-hmm," Katara confirmed. She picked up a lock of her hair and studied the ends intensely. "Ugg! Split!"

"Well," Zuko continued, feeling a bit annoyed. "Shouldn't there be people here? I asked for friends." Katara gave him another reproachful look and let her hair fall over her shoulder.

'Not unless you already had friends _to _ come by," she said. "Or unless you meant you wanted shallow friends who show up when there's fun to be had, but wouldn't last the first test of friendship. I _told_ you I can't _make_ people like you."

"So _how_ do you figure to get me friends?" Zuko demanded, frustrated. Katara rolled her eyes, but remained extremely patient. She was used to her masters' impetuousness, and Zuko, it seemed, would be no different.

"Would you just trust me?" she asked. "You have to go to university tomorrow, yes?" Zuko nodded. "Well then, I'll get to work on your wish tomorrow. True friendship takes time to grow, but I can speed the process along." Zuko looked at her grumpily, but Katara was as serene as ever, the setting sun cast a glow around her free flowing hair and gave her a reddish-brown halo. She suddenly _looked_ like a mythical sprit, and Zuko wondered if she would turn out to be benevolent, or mischievous.

"So," Katara said, fixing him with her startlingly blue eyes. "What have you got to eat around here?"

-:-:-:-:-:-


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

The next morning Zuko woke up feeling anxious, as if something big had happened, or was going to happen. It took a few moments before the events of the night before came flooding back into his memory. He flung his blanket off of him and stumbled over to his desk where Katara's pot was sitting. It looked innocent enough, if a bit battered. Zuko held his hand over the top, uncertain of whether he wanted the night before to be just a strange dream or not. Finally he took a deep breath and lifted the top.

Nothing happened. Zuko frowned and peered intensely into the pot. It was completely empty. Zuko scowled to himself. Of _course _it was empty. Genies-djinn, whatever!- didn't exist. Zuko shook his head, ashamed of his own stupidity. He was getting ready for classes, when he was startled by the door to his room being thrown open. He spun around quickly, feeling his heartbeat in his throat.

"Good morning, brother," Azula greeted him with a mocking smile. "Father wants to see you. "

Zuko had to work to suppress the sudden emotions welling inside of him, the most annoying of which was disappointment. He had already decided Katara had been a dream. He didn't trust himself to speak, so he nodded at Azula. She eyed him critically, her face twisted as if she smelled something unpleasant.

"Hurry up," she warned him. "You know how impatient Father gets waiting on you." Zuko still didn't answer, but met her sneer with one of his own. She left at last and Zuko finished dressing and went to his father's office.

"You wanted to see me?" Zuko asked him. He fought to keep the edge of nervousness from his voice. His father never asked to see him about anything good. Zuko stood in the doorway, staring at the back of Ozai's chair, feeling for all the world like some low level employee in his father's company, instead of his eldest son and heir.

"I just got your midterm grades," Ozai said after a long stretch of silence. Zuko wasn't surprised that his father had seen the grades. Even though the university didn't allow parents access to their students' grades without permission, and Zuko had never given his, Ozai had found a way to get them anyway. Zuko did wonder what his father had found wrong. He knew he had done well on midterms. Still, Zuko prepared himself to be berated for something or other.

"I must say," Ozai drawled, "I'm pleasantly surprised. It seems that you're starting to take this seriously at last." Zuko's eyes widened in surprise. He was _not_ expecting to hear that. He schooled his face and stared ahead blankly as his father turned to face him. Ozai was an intimidating man. His eyes were the same amber color as Zuko's, but his were hard and cold, betraying no emotion as he stared his son down appraisingly. He got up and walked over to where Zuko was standing. To Zuko's surprise, he wasn't looking up at his father, as he had remembered doing all of his life.

"What year of university is this for you?" Ozai asked.

"Third, sir," Zuko said with a cool respect. He made himself meet his father's eyes. He hated to look weak in front of Ozai.

"I see," Ozai replied. He stroked his jet black beard thoughtfully. "I see. It's time to consider your future."

"Sir?" Zuko asked, confused.

"I have been following your progress," Ozai told him. "These past few terms, your performance in school has been a marked improvement from your normal work. Frankly, I was afraid you would turn out to be as dim as my brother. But you are excelling in your classes; business in particular, and I think it is time to see how you would fare as head of my company."

"I…" Zuko didn't know how to respond to that. His father ran a multi-national cooperation that sold, among other things, weapons. It had been started by Zuko's great-grandfather nearly a hundred years earlier. Sozin Inc. was more than a company. It was an entity in itself, spreading beyond weapons dealing into agriculture, and even international politics. The idea of running such a huge operation made Zuko dizzy. Ozai was waiting for Zuko to say something, but when Zuko could find no words, Ozai's mouth curled into the same sneer that Azula often favored him with.

"I suppose this is a bit overwhelming," he said with no hint of fatherly understanding. "I have by no means decided to name you as my successor. Azula has proven time and time again to be a capable, shrewd, _intelligent _leader and she has for many years now been my first choice. However since you are my only son and my oldest child, I thought it would only be fair to allow you to prove yourself."

Ozai stood back and looked his son over once more before dismissing him with a wave of his hand. Zuko left the room stiffly, closing the door behind him. In the hallway, Zuko breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, you finally did something right, ZuZu?" Zuko jumped and turned to where Azula was standing at the end of the hall. She was smiling, but there was something almost frightening in it. Zuko straightened up and glared at Azula.

"I'm going to be late," he said. He walked past her, ignoring her calculating gaze as he went by. He grabbed his book bag from his bedroom and left the apartment. He was at the elevator before he remembered he hadn't finished his homework the night before.

"Crap!" he muttered into his hands as the elevator door opened.

"Problem?" Once again, Zuko found himself startled. Katara was waiting for him inside the elevator, this time in a blue and white stripped knee length summer dress and short jean jacket. Zuko stared at her in shock. Katara shifted and self-consciously tugged at her braid.

"Something wrong?" she asked him.

"I-I just…you're real!" Zuko stammered. Katara huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes at him.

"Shall we take this from the top, then?" She held her arms out and Zuko could feel a phantom breeze picking up. He rushed to stop her.

"No need for that!" he insisted. Katara lowered her arms and looked at Zuko archly. "I was just surprised to see you. I checked your pot this morning and…"

"Oh, I've moved for the time being," Katara explained, motioning for him to get into the elevator. "There's an empty apartment a few floors below you. I didn't think anyone would mind me squatting for a while."

"You what?" Zuko asked incredulously. "You can't do that! It's illegal."

"Why?" Katara frowned. "No one's using it."

"There are laws! You have to have a lease. Do you even have a key?" Katara waved Zuko's concern off carelessly.

"I don't need keys," she scoffed. "And what's a lease?"

"A lease," Zuko said. "An agreement that says the landlord allowed you to live in the apartment you're squatting in."

"_Oh!_" Enlightenment dawned on Katara's face. "A _lease_! Is _that_ what it's called? I _do _have one of those." The way she said that and the look on her face made Zuko nervous.

"What did you do?" he asked suspiciously. Katara looked at him innocently.

"Nothing, really," she said, twiddling her thumbs. "Just a little decoy if anyone should ask questions, which they won't. If a new tenant wanted the apartment, my 'lease' would disappear and no one would know I was ever there." Zuko looked down at her disapprovingly. Katara's demeanor turned defensive.

"Well what was I supposed to do?" she demanded. "I've been stuck in that cramped little _dish_ for over a century! I wanted a little more room to stretch out."

"We have two guest rooms," Zuko pointed out. "You could have stayed in one."

"And told your family what exactly?" Katara countered. They reached the ground floor effectively ending their conversation. Zuko hated to admit, but Katara was right. He doubted his father would be happy about a strange girl living in their penthouse. Still, the idea of Katara squatting didn't sit well with him. If she was caught, it might come back to him. He frowned at the back of her head and she once more led the way out of the building. For supposing to have been Katara's master, he certainly didn't feel he had much control over her.

Katara stopped at the front desk and greeted the building's doorman. He looked up, surprised to see her cheerful, smiling face leaned over the desk.

"Hi!" she said. "I'm Katara. I'm new here." Zuko panicked when she said that. He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her away before the man behind the desk realized she was lying, but Katara showed a surprising amount of strength for her size and wouldn't budge.

"Oh! Um…hello!" the man said uncertainly. "I'm…Chey. Nice to meet you."

"And this is my friend, Zuko." Katara pulled Zuko forward and he bowed his head in an awkward greeting. Chey smiled wryly at Zuko.

"I know who you are," he said. "Zuko Kaji. Penthouse 2600. I know just about everyone in this building. I've worked here for ten years." Zuko felt his cheeks flushing warmly. He had seen Chey nearly every day, but he had never learned his name or spared him more than a passing glance or word. Chey looked to be about as old as his father. His tanned face was care-worn and his short, brown hair was slightly bushy, but he had kind eyes. Zuko felt ashamed for ignoring him.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. Chey smiled warmly at him and stuck out his hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Zuko," he said. Zuko took the proffered hand and shook it firmly.

"Oh, look!" Katara said, grinning at Zuko. "You've made a new friend." Zuko looked at Katara drily from the side of his eye, but her smile never wavered, and even became a bit smug. Chey turned back to her and Zuko began to panic again.

"Which apartment did you say you lived in?" he asked her.

"I'm in 2301," she told him quickly. Chey pursed his lips and his brow furrowed a bit.

"I didn't know it had been let." Zuko's eyes widened as Chey pulled the apartment's information up on the building's computer. He looked at Katara, but she looked as serene as ever. He wasn't sure she even realized what Chey was doing. She couldn't possibly have seen a computer before in her life. Chey's face changed when he found the information he was looking for.

"I'm sorry, "he said slowly. Zuko felt sweat beading on his forehead. He knew that Katara had been caught. "How do you pronounce your last name?"

"It's Arnaq," she told him. "Are-nack. A lot of people don't say it right at first."

"Arnaq," Chey repeated. He smiled brightly at the two. "Well, it was nice of you to stop and say hello."

"It's been a pleasure," Katara said, grabbing Zuko's hand. "We have to leave now, but we'll see you later! Come on, Zuko. We'll be late!" Katara dragged the still stunned Zuko out of the front door and down the street. When Zuko finally came to his senses, he stopped dead in his tracks and pulled his hand free. Katara looked at him, confused.

"How did you do that?" he asked her. "How did you get your name into the system?"

"It's an illusion," Katara said. "He and anyone else looking for me will see what I want them to see. Its part of my blending in, you see?"

"But, you said you've been in that bowl for over a hundred years." Zuko shook his head uncomprehendingly. "How could you possibly know how computers work?" Katara shrugged as if none of this was unusual to her.

"I don't, exactly," she said. "I mean, I couldn't use one myself yet, or put one together, but I have a pretty good idea of what they are and what they do."

"But _how_?" Zuko persisted. "They haven't existed that long." Katara looked up at him, clearly annoyed.

"I _may_ have been shut up in that pot for over a century, but I wasn't asleep the _entire _time. Djinn absorb while they are between masters. It's important that we keep up with the times, or it causes all sorts of complications. How do you think I know so much about the current fashions? Or language? Or cars? Or any of the multitude of things that don't faze me after a century?" She turned and continued down the street, leaving Zuko feeling foolish again. He ran to catch up with her. Katara looked at him in mild annoyance, but Zuko didn't think she was angry. He decided to change the subject.

"Are you coming to school with me today?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said. "I'm going to need to be close to you if I'm going to grant your first wish. Chey was a good start, I think, but I'm sure you're going to want friends your own age, too, right?"

"That'd be nice," Zuko agreed.

"Besides," Katara continued. "I don't want to stay cooped up in that apartment all day. I mean it's a nice change from the pot, but I'd still like a chance to see the world with my own eyes. Who knows when I might get another chance after you're done?"

"True," Zuko agreed. They walked along in a comfortable silence for a while. Then Zuko remembered once more that he hadn't completed his homework. Katara looked at him worried when he suddenly hit himself in the head with both hands and growled angrily.

"What's the matter?" she asked him.

"I keep forgetting my homework!" he told her. After his meeting with his father that morning, he couldn't afford to let his grades slip even a little.

"Is that all?" Katara asked. "I thought it was something serious. Is that going to be your second wish?"

"No way," Zuko said. "I'm not wasting a wish on something that small. I've got an hour before my first class. We can stop in a café or something so I can finish." Katara's face fell and she looked at Zuko pleadingly.

"Please just wish it done?" she begged. "I don't want to sit and watch you do your schoolwork for an hour! How unthinkably dull!"

"Not going to happen," Zuko said resolvedly. "And I would appreciate you _not_ putting your two cents in on my every wish." Katara folded her arms and pouted, but she relented.

"Fine," she said, petulantly. Zuko smiled triumphantly. He finally seemed to have gotten control of the situation. Then suddenly she brightened up. "Hey! Maybe I can find you a new friend while you work!" Zuko felt his moment of triumph fade as Katara babbled on about finding new people for Zuko to meet and how great cafés were for starting up friendships. Zuko tried to dissuade her.

"I don't think that's a good –" Katara just cut him off.

"Don't be silly! It won't be any trouble at all. I'll make you the most popular boy in town! You just do your little homework assignment. I'll do the _real_ work." She snatched up his arm and dragged him along and Zuko was powerless to stop her. He was seriously beginning to regret opening his uncle's present.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Zuko found it extremely difficult to concentrate on his school work. Every few minutes Katara would either point out someone who would make a good friend, or sighed about how bored she was. Before too long, Zuko couldn't take it anymore.

"If you don't _shut up_ I'm going to send you to your pot!" he hissed at her. Katara looked genuinely concerned for a moment, before she broke into a smug smirk.

"You haven't brought it with you," she said.

"So?" Zuko snapped. "Can't you fly or turn into mist or something?" Katara gaped at that, affronted by the very idea.

"Djinn don't _fly!" _she said, looking as if he had insulted her entire family.

"But you flew yesterday!" Zuko nearly yelled. He winced as he realized that he had drawn the attention of the patrons sitting around him.

"I _levitated_," Katara corrected him, in a much more controlled, though still scathing, tone of voice. "That's entirely different. I can do things like that if the occasion calls for it…and I _can_ transport myself in dire circumstances, but it takes a _lot_ of energy depending on the distance. You're not cruel enough to do that to me." She stated the last part, more than asked. Zuko hated the fact that she seemed to know him so well after only a day. It would make controlling her easier if she feared him, just a _little._ He sighed and threw his hands up in resignation.

"Fine," he said. "I won't make you go back to your pot. Just _please_ let me finish my homework."

"Oh, alright," Katara said with all the air of an indulgent mother telling her child he can have another piece of candy. "We can talk about why it's a bad idea to leave my pot at home later." Zuko looked up at that, and was about to ask her what she meant, but Katara looked at him with mock severity and pointed to his homework.

The waiter came over to the table then, and Zuko silently bemoaned yet _another_ distraction. He checked his watch. He had only 40 minutes to complete his assignment. It was looking less and less likely by the minute. Katara smiled brightly at the waiter and almost reflexively he smiled back. He was around Zuko's age. He looked a lot like Katara; same skin tone, same hair color, their eyes were both blue, although the waiter's eyes looked a shade or two darker than Katara's. They could almost have been related to Zuko's eyes.

"Hello!" Katara said in her impossibly bright, cheerful voice. "I'm Katara. This is Zuko. He's trying to do his homework, and I'm doing everything in my power to stop him." The waiter grinned at them, but he suddenly looked at Zuko closely, studying his face.

"Hey, I recognize you," he said. "Don't we have a class together?" Zuko blinked at him owlishly. He honestly couldn't pick most of his classmates from a line up.

"I'm not sure…" he replied.

"Yeah!" the waiter said, snapping his fingers. "Economics with Professor Jeong! You sit on the other side of the class from me, but I'd know your face anywhere…Oh! Sorry! I didn't mean…" The waiter flushed and backtracked as quickly as he could. Zuko ducked his head and mumbled something forgiving, but Katara intervened in her own way.

"Don't worry about it," she said, still smiling. "I've been trying to tell him that the scar gives him character. It enhances his looks somehow, don't you think?" The waiter flushed deeper, not sure of how to respond to that. Zuko for his part was staring at the ground hoping it would swallow him whole. Katara didn't seem to notice the discomfiture of either man.

"So, you go to school with Zuko?" Katara asked the waiter. "How is that you two have never met?"

"Well….your boyfriend here kind of keeps to himself," the waiter said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"I'm _not_ her boyfriend," Zuko said, still glaring at the ground.

"Not my boyfriend, _yet_!" Katara cut in. Zuko looked up at her in shock and was in time to see her wink playfully at him. "I'm wearing him down, though. Aren't I, _honey_?" Zuko glared at her. Katara was having a little _too_ much fun.

"Ok?" The waiter looked at the two of them. His face was bordering on discomfort and amusement. Katara turned back to him with her mega-watt smile shining bright as ever.

"I'll make sure that he learns some social skills," she promised. "It's a shame that he doesn't seem to know many of his schoolmates. What is your name, by the way?"

"I'm Sokka. My father owns the Water Hole." Katara somehow managed to brighten up some more as she turned back to Zuko excitedly.

"Isn't that great?" she exclaimed. On anyone else, such enthusiasm would read insincere, but both Sokka and Zuko could tell she was really as excited as she seemed. "This place is amazing! I love the atmosphere." Sokka stood up a little taller and smiled proudly.

"Yeah, it is pretty great," Sokka said. "My parents opened it before I was born. I started helping my dad around here when she passed a few years ago." Katara's smile dimmed a bit and her eyes softened.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Katara said. "I lost my parents years ago." Sokka nodded sympathetically, and Zuko looked at her oddly. He never considered that she could have had parents.

"We miss her a lot," Sokka admitted. "But we've been keeping her memory alive with this place. And my girlfriend has been helping out a lot too. The candles on the table were her idea." Katara's face brightened again.

"Oh! Is she here?" she asked. "I'd love to meet her!" Sokka shook his head.

"Suki's in class right now," he said. "But you can meet her another time."

"Perfect!" Katara said. "We'll be here more often!"

"We'd love to have you with us!" Sokka said as enthusiastically. He turned to Zuko suddenly, catching him by surprise. "By the way, Zuko, do you have a partner for the project Jeong assigned yet?"

"Um…no…" Zuko said slowly. Katara raised an eyebrow at him, presumably for saying 'um' again, but Zuko ignored her.

"Cool," Sokka said, smiling. "Neither have I. Do you want to be partners?" Zuko was stunned by the request. He usually wound up working on those project alone. Katara kicked his leg lightly under the table and Zuko managed to nod his head. "Great! Here's my phone number. Let's set up a time to get together." Sokka wrote it down on his order pad and handed it to Zuko.

"Look at that!" Katara said when Sokka had gone. "Two new friends in one day! And I've barely started."

"Introducing me to random people doesn't make us automatically friends," Zuko said, sourly. He checked his watch again. Half an hour.

"It's a _start_," Katara said, insistently. "Trust me! I think Sokka will be your new best friend by the end of the project." Zuko rolled his eyes at her and shut his school books. There was no point in trying to finish it now. Katara at the very least had the grace to look apologetic.

"Are you sure you don't want to wish it done?" she asked him. "It's not even really like cheating. They'd be the answers you would have written anyway."

"That's such a waste," Zuko protested. "Maybe I can…get an extension." Even as he said it, Zuko knew it was hopeless. It was Professor Pakku's class, and he was notorious for being strict about…well everything. Including deadlines.

"You'd still have thirteen wishes left," Katara pointed out. "I think you can afford to throw one away. Unless you can afford to miss the assignment." Zuko considered it carefully. Pakku only gave two exams the entire semester. Homework assignments made up a significant portion of the end of term grades. Missing one could mean the difference between highest mark and just average. That wouldn't bother him much normally, but…

"Alright," Zuko relented at last. "I wish my homework was done." Katara grinned, delighted at having won against Zuko again.

"As you wish." She waved a hand over the page and suddenly it was filled with Zuko's neat, tidy scrawl. He looked it over and nodded approvingly. They were the exact answers he would have written if he could.

"Thanks," he said, relieved. He tucked the pages into his book bag.

"You're welcome." Katara got up and grabbed Zuko's arm. "Now, let's go meet some more people!"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

Zuko felt extremely self-conscious handing in his homework to Pakku. When his professor's sharp grey eyes landed on him as he handed the assignment in, Zuko had the nagging suspicion that he knew he hadn't done the work himself.

It isn't cheating, Zuko reminded himself as he went to his seat. Pakku started the lesson without saying anything about the homework. After a few minutes, the door of the classroom opened and Pakku looked at the newcomer with a raised eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" he drawled sarcastically.

"Sorry am I late?" replied an all too familiar voice. Zuko spun around in his seat and saw Katara standing in the doorway, looking at Professor Pakku sheepishly. Pakku's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Who are you?" he asked her. "You can't be transferring into this class. The semester's half over." Katara laughed a little nervously.

"I guess they didn't tell you," she said. "I'm Katara Arnaq. I'm here with the school's shadowing program."

"You are?" Pakku looked at her, surprised. Zuko stared at her, too, but his expression was closer to dread.

"I am," Katara said, nodding. "I'm considering transferring to this school and I got permission to sit in on a few classes to see if it'd be a good fit."

"Don't they usually assign you a student to shadow?" Zuko sank lower in his seat. He knew exactly where this was going.

"Oh, they did." Katara pointed to Zuko , who was in the middle of trying to become invisible. "Zuko and I are friends, so they said it'd be ok to shadow him today." Satisfied with her explanation, Pakku motioned for her to have a seat. The only free one was three rows from Zuko's, but Katara didn't seem to mind. She sat down and hung her jacket on the back of her seat. She glanced over at Zuko and waved at him with a cheeky grin.

_What are you doing here?_ Zuko mouthed at her. Katara just winked and pointed to the front of the class where Pakku had gone back to writing notes on the whiteboard. He wouldn't be able to get an explanation just then. He contented himself with a long warning glare at Katara.

_Behave!_ he mouthed. Katara sat up straight, and looked back at him, an absolute vision of innocence, before she turned to another student sitting beside her and started chatting quietly with her.

"Miss Arnaq," Pakku said suddenly. The frost in his voice cowed even Katara. "While I'm sure you must have many questions for my students, I have to ask you to please not interrupt my class."

"Sorry," Katara said guiltily. Her cheeks were slightly red with embarrassment and she sat quietly for the rest of the class. Zuko, relieved, turned and tried not to pay attention to Katara. That turned out to be easier said than done.

After nearly fifteen minutes of relative quiet, Zuko looked down at his notebook and saw a message not written in his handwriting.

_Hey! _ It read. _I'm bored.-K_ Zuko looked over at Katara, but her head was down and she was scribbling something on a piece of paper she had gotten from someone. Zuko looked back down at the paper and saw new writing appear on the page.

_Let's get out of here!_ Zuko looked back at Katara, but she still wasn't looking at him. She was staring at the paper intensely, and Zuko realized she was waiting for a response. He picked his pen up and with only a moment's hesitation, he wrote his reply.

_No._ He glanced over at Katara. She still wasn't looking up, but she was pouting at the paper. She wrote back immediately.

_Come on! He's not teaching anything that important. _

_No._ _Please leave me alone. _ Katara's head shot up at that. She looked over at Zuko with an eyebrow raised, and Zuko scribbled hastily. _For the rest of class. We can talk later. _ Zuko glanced back at her and Katara rolled her eyes at him, before responding.

_Fine. Spoil sport. _

The rest of the class went on without incident, although Zuko was peeved to find that he could barely remember what Pakku had talked about. He gathered his books and shoved them roughly into his backpack, and then he started to go over to Katara's seat. He didn't think anything of one of the other students talking to her, until he saw the look on the other guy's face.

The guy-Zuko thought his name was Jet- had one leg propped up on the seat in front of Katara's and he was resting his elbow against his knee. He had a cocky grin on his face and was actually _leering_ at the djinn. Katara smiled at him pleasantly. She didn't seem to realize that he was hitting on her.

"So, Katara," Jet was saying when Zuko walked over. "How about you ditch Zuko and I'll show you a _good_ time?"

"But I'm having a good time," Katara said good-naturedly. "Thanks for the offer. Would you like to join us instead? It'd be a great way for you two to get to know each other. You _are_ classmates, you know." Behind her, Zuko rolled his eyes. He could already tell he wouldn't like Jet. At all. What did he mean _ditch Zuko_?

"I'd rather get to know _you_ better," Jet insisted. He moved his face closer to Katara's as if going for a kiss, and Zuko felt his temper rise. He was about to step in, but Katara reacted before he could.

"You are incredibly rude!" Katara reached up and grabbed his ear. She twisted it, hard and Jet's knees buckled. "Someone should teach you some manners. _First _of all, you _never_ antagonize a girl's friends. _Second_ respect a girl's personal space. How dare you try to touch me with your disgusting lips, you toad!" Katara stood up, with Jet's ear still firmly between her fingers. Jet cried out in pain, but Katara held on until she had gathered her paper, pen and jacket. She released him and Jet scrambled away from her, clutching his injured ear.

"Next time I expect you to be a lot more civil," Katara told him gravely. Then she suddenly reverted to her unusually cheerful self. "Have a nice day! Come on, Zuko!"

She grabbed the stunned man's hand and pulled him out of the classroom, babbling about something. Zuko had time for one more look back at Jet, who was sitting on the floor, staring slightly in awe after Katara.

"Huh," Jet murmured, just before Katara yanked Zuko down out to the classroom.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"I had hoped that men like that would have gone the way of those awful bowler hats," Katara said. She and Zuko settled onto a patch of grass for lunch. Zuko handed her a sandwich once she had finished smoothing out her skirt.

"Yeah, he seemed like a real jerk," Zuko agreed, biting into his own sandwich.

"So, how am I doing with your wish?" Katara asked him. Zuko looked around the area they were sitting and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm still eating lunch alone." Katara favored him with a scathing glare. "Except for you!"

"Well it would help if you were a bit more social," Katara said, miffed. "You could have invited someone to have lunch with us."

"Isn't that _your_ job?" Zuko asked, frowning. "In fact, I think I want a wish refund. This isn't working at all!" Katara gaped at him, incredulously.

"A refund! For what?"

"Aren't these wishes supposed to be instant?" Zuko asked. "I didn't have to wait for my last one. Why is this one taking so long?"

"I'm doing the best I can!" Katara snapped, angrily. "I told you, I can't _force_ someone to like you. Trust me, you wouldn't like how that turns out. I can get you friends, but you have to do your part, too."

"What have you done besides introduce me to random people?" Zuko demanded. "I could have done that myself."

"Yet you didn't," Katara reminded him. "You are so anti-social that you have to _wish_ for friends. _I'm_ your closest friend right now, and I have to be because I'm _bound_ to you. Do you have any idea how pathetic that is?"

"Not half as pathetic as spending my entire existence enslaved to someone," Zuko retorted. "Bound to me? You _belong _to me!"

Katara sat stunned, as if she had been slapped. Immediately her demeanor changed. The only move she made was to sit up straighter and bow her head slightly, but the difference was drastic. Instead of the cheerful, fiery young woman who had been there a split second ago, Zuko found himself looking at a meek servant. Even her clothes seemed a bit dingier all of the sudden. Zuko felt like slapping himself then.

"Katara, I didn't mean …" Zuko started quickly.

"No, you're right," Katara said, softly. "I over stepped myself. I am sorry, Master Zuko. It won't happen again." Zuko shook his head desperately.

"You don't have to do that," he insisted. "I don't _want _ you to…"

"May I go now?" she asked, cutting him off again. Zuko thought about refusing to let her go, but that seemed like the wrong way to go.

"You can go anywhere you like," Zuko said. "I won't stop you. You're free to do what you like." Katara stood, her face still bowed.

"No," she said. "I'm not. I apologize again, sir." She gave a quick bow and walked away. As Zuko watched, she seemed to glimmer, like a mirage, and then she was gone. Then, Zuko really did smack himself. He hit his forehead again and again.

"Problem?" Zuko looked up with an irrational hope that Katara had come back to tell him she was kidding. Instead, he saw Sokka standing over him. Behind Sokka was a girl- a pretty brunette with hazel eyes- who was looking at Zuko curiously. He blushed slightly and looked away.

"Hey, Sokka," he nearly mumbled. He nodded politely at the girl.

"Hey," Sokka greeted, cheerfully. "This is my girlfriend, Suki. Suki, this is Zuko, my partner for that project for Jeong." Suki shuddered and looked at the guys sympathetically.

"I had him last semester," she told Zuko. "That project was a nightmare. It's nice to meet you Zuko."

"Same," Zuko said. Suki looked at him expectantly. When Zuko didn't say anything else, she shrugged and gave Sokka a peck on the cheek.

"I have to get to class," she told him. "I'll see you for dinner tonight. Bye, Zuko!" Zuko waved at her and Sokka stared after her wistfully. When she was gone, he surprised Zuko by plopping down on the grass next to him.

"So, what's wrong with you?" he asked.

"Huh?" was Zuko's intelligent reply.

"You look like someone told you your best friend moved away, and took your favorite parrot-gerbil."

Zuko blinked at him. Sokka continued watching him expectantly. Zuko wasn't sure what to do. He didn't know Sokka…at all, really. Why was he suddenly so interested in him all of the sudden when they hadn't spoken two words to each other before that day? Should Zuko answer? How much information should he give? _Why_ had he wished for friends in the first place?

"Is it trouble with your girlfriend?" Sokka asked. That startled Zuko into a moment of clarity. This _was_ what he had wished for, after all. Katara had told him that she could only do so much and he had to do the rest. So for the first time in his life, Zuko forced himself to open up to someone.

"She isn't my girlfriend," Zuko told him. "She's the closest friend I have, though, and I think I might have just done some irreparable damage to our friendship."

"What did you do?"

"I said something really stupid." Sokka let out a low whistle.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"I'd really rather not tell you, " Zuko said.

"Sorry." Sokka put his hands up placatingly. Zuko backtracked quickly, not wanting to offend Sokka.

"No! You don't have to apologize," he said. "It's just that it was kind of personal and I don't think Katara would appreciate me telling you." It wasn't necessarily untrue. Katara had put so much effort into blending in, he was sure that she wouldn't like him telling Sokka that she was a djinn. Fortunately Sokka understood.

"So how are you going to fix it?"

"I have no idea." Zuko put his hands behind his head and flopped back onto the grass. "The only other person I've really had an argument with is my sister and…well, let's just say how I settle my differences with her is probably _not_ the best idea with Katara." Zuko shuddered, remembering his last fight with his sister. Sokka nodded and stroked his chin as he thought.

"You could always try the old standby of dumb guys the world over," he suggested. Zuko looked up at him, questioningly. "Dinner and a gift. That's what I do when Suki's mad at me."

"You think that'd work?" Zuko asked.

"Guaranteed, fool proof sure thing," Sokka promised. "Although, I would probably avoid anyplace too romantic, or she may get the wrong idea." Sokka looked at Zuko from the corner of his eye and added slyly, "Unless you _want_ her to get that idea."

"Absolutely not." Zuko was pretty sure that was against the djinn rules. "Where should I take her?"

"There's a nice dinner not too far from here," Sokka suggested. "Great food. Wait staff's a bit kooky, though. Watch out for the hostess. She's got a mean streak in her a mile long."

"I think I can handle that," Zuko said, thinking once again of Azula.

"And for a gift…" Sokka continued. "I don't know, a stuffed animal or something? Or maybe a charm bracelet. I think that's nice and platonic, as long as you don't, like, get her ruby and diamond charms." Sokka glanced at his watch and cringed. "Hey, I've got get to class now. Call me later and we can talk about the project, alright?"

"Fine," Zuko agreed. With a final wave, Sokka took off in the direction of his next class. Zuko stayed on the grass another few minutes (waiting for Katara to come back), but nothing around him kept his interest long (she was nowhere to be seen). He decided to go home after a while and he made his slow way back to his building.

"Hey, Mr. Kaji," Chey greeted him as he walked in. Zuko did his best to be friendly in return, and Chey didn't seem to notice anything amiss. "I saw Miss Katara a while ago. Is everything ok with her? She seemed a bit down."

"Oh! I…um…she's…" Zuko stuttered. Chey nodded understandingly.

"Well, I hope everything works out," he said significantly. "I hate to see her like that." Zuko resisted the urge to scowl and went to the elevator bank. When he got inside, he stared at the call buttons for a long time. His finger hovered over the penthouse button, but he couldn't take his eyes off of button 23.

From behind the closed doors, Zuko could hear the conversation of some approaching residents and made a split second decision. Button 23 was lit and the elevator made its swift way up before the new comers could press the call button. Zuko heaved a sigh, but he wasn't sure if what he felt was relief, fear or resignation.

All too soon, the elevator arrived on the 23rd floor. The doors slid open and Zuko found himself standing outside of apartment 2301. Zuko took a deep breath and stepped off the elevator before the doors closed again. He stared at the door for a long time, willing Katara to open the door on her own so he wouldn't have to find the courage to knock himself. But the door stayed shut. Zuko steeled himself and raised his hand to knock.

It seemed an eternity before Katara opened the door, although in reality it was only a few seconds. It was as if she were expecting him. Which, Zuko reflected, probably wasn't entirely untrue. Her face was carefully blank and she stepped aside to let him in. The apartment was smaller than Zuko's penthouse. It was a one bedroom with a large living room and a kitchen. While it wasn't by any means a shabby place- this _was_, after all, a high end building- it wasn't as visually impressive as the Kaji residence. Zuko liked it immediately.

The color scheme was done in gold and blue tones, adding to Zuko's suspicion that Katara was from one of the water tribes. There was no couch in the living room, just some large cushions on the plush, white carpet. There was a low table with books piled up on it and antique looking floor lamps on either side of the room. While Zuko looked around the room, Katara looked at him expectantly.

"Did you need anything?" she asked, and then added quietly, "Sir?" Zuko remembered why he was there and he turned back to Katara. She had her head bowed respectfully, waiting for him to wish for something. Zuko ran an agitated hand through his messy, black hair.

"Look, I'm not…good at this," Zuko told her. "I don't apologize often…well ever. I've never really had to, except to my father occasionally, but that doesn't count…"

"Master Zuko?" Katara looked up at him, completely confused. Zuko gritted his teeth.

"Stop calling me that," he said. Then as an afterthought, "Please."

"Alright," Katara agreed. Her face was still blank, though and Zuko knew she was taking it as an order rather than a request.

"I'm trying to say I'm sorry, alright?" he finally snapped. "I didn't mean anything I said earlier. I don't want to be all servile and quiet. It's…creepy! It's not you and I don't want you to feel like you have bow and scrape to me. Just be yourself, please?"

Katara stared at him quietly, but there was a smile playing at the edge of her lips.

"If you're sure," she said.

"Yes!" was Zuko's emphatic answer. "And to make it up to you, I'm taking you to dinner. Sokka told me about a diner not too far from the school that he said was good." Katara's smiled got a little bigger.

"So, you spoke to Sokka?" she asked. "You told him about our argument?"

"Yeah," Zuko nodded. "He said I should…" His voice trailed off when he realized Katara's smile had turned into a full blown, smug grin. "You set me up, didn't you? You weren't really angry at all, were you?"

"Oh, please," Katara scoffed. "I've been a djinn to worse hotheads than you in my time. It takes a lot more than a little hissy fit to hurt me. About two hundred years ago, one of my old masters ran me through with a sword. He wasn't happy with how one of his wishes came out. Let's just say there's a reason I don't make people fall in love."

"But…why?" Zuko looked at her incredulously. Katara folded her arms and gave him a stern look.

"Because you have no social skills," she told him. "What would have happened if you had blown up at one of the new friends I'm trying to make you? You needed to have an argument with a friend and learn how to make up after." Zuko tried to make his mouth form words, but he had no idea what to say. Katara had tricked him, made him feel awful about what he had done. He had confided in a guy he had met just that day, and for what? Katara was never really angry at him in the first place. He felt his anger rising and though Katara must have seen it, she pretended not to notice. She went back into her living room, leaving Zuko standing in the doorway.

"Close the door and come sit down," she said, patting the cushion next to hers. Zuko wanted to leave, he didn't want to spend another minute with Katara, but to his annoyance, he shut the door and went to sit down. Katara grabbed a tea pot that Zuko hadn't noticed before and poured him a cup. At first Zuko wouldn't take it.

"Come on, Zuko," Katara said. She pouted and tried her best to look endearing. "Don't be mad at me. It's all to grant your wish in the end. How was your chat with Sokka?" Zuko scowled and took the cup from Katara. He took a swig, ignoring the intense burn of the tea down his throat.

"I spilled my guts to a complete stranger because of you," he told her, angrily. "I don't know what he's going to do with that. What if he tells people."

"You have trust issues." Katara made a face at him. "I'm particularly annoyed that you don't trust _me_. I know you think I'm just introducing you to people at random, but I promise there's a method to my madness. I'm introducing you to people who, under ideal circumstances- like you not being afraid to talk to people- would have been friends with you anyway. I told you, I can't force emotions, but I can speed things that are already there along."

"Meaning…?" Zuko asked her. Katara huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Meaning you can trust the people I'm introducing you to," she said. "It's going to be like you've been friends with Sokka and Chey for years. Didn't you wonder _why_ it was so easy to talk to Sokka?"

Zuko thought a bit and realized Katara was right. He _did_ have some reservations about talking to Sokka, but he had done it anyway. Katara's advice or no, he wouldn't have done that under normal circumstances. He nodded in acknowledgement of what she told him.

"So," Katara said, "you mentioned something about dinner?"

_**Confession time. I started this story as an exercise in keeping deadlines. I'm trying to keep this up on a weekly schedule because I'm thinking about doing NANOWRIMO next month and I want to see if I can discipline myself to it. Unfortunately, I think that it is causing the quality of my writing to suffer, so this is sort of an apology for everyone who's following this story. I'm glad that many of you seem to like it, and I will continue it, but I wanted to thank you all for your patience and support. **_

_**Holla back atcha **_

_**Ladyhawk**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N** Yes, for those of you who are keeping track, I **am** posting this a bit early. As you may be aware, a crazy lady named Sandy is about to come wreak some major havoc on the east coast, and, well, my town is on her hit list. I'm hoping this chick is all talk, but they are predicting blackouts that may last as long as two weeks (please, God, spare us!). I'm praying for the best, but preparing for the worst, hence, I'm posting this chapter a day early, along with an early apology to all...let me see...eighteen of you who are following this story (Wow, really? Thank you all for following! You keep me writing. I'm just saying though, can the rest of you show some love?). Anyway, I wanted to warn you that Chapter 5 may be late due to technical difficulties.  
_

_**Chapter 4**_

"Why couldn't you just leave your school bag at my place?" Katara asked. She leaned against the door and sighed impatiently as he dug around his bag for his house key.

"I don't want to forget it later," Zuko explained. "It's only going to take a second. Relax." Katara rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. Zuko's digging got more and more agitated. He couldn't find the key among his books and papers. Not for the first time, he reflected on the wisdom of designating one of the small pockets on the bag for it, but he knew he would forget the next day and just toss his key wherever was convenient on his way out.

Finally, Katara reached out for the door and turned the handle. It turned without a problem and the door swung open. She looked at Zuko smugly, and he blinked in surprise at the open door.

"Did you do that?" Zuko. Katara just shrugged.

There was the sound of low murmuring coming from the living room. From the doorway, Zuko could just make out some of his father's business partners and he froze. Katara looked from Zuko to the living room in confusion, and poked him in the back.

"Maybe I should leave my bag at your place after all," Zuko whispered. He backed up towards the door, pushing Katara behind him, and hoped that no one had noticed him come in.

"Zuko!" No such luck. Mr. Zhao, one of the chairmen or the VP- Zuko always forgot which- of the company got up and walked to the door to shake Zuko's hand.

"Well, you've grown a lot," he said, not altogether pleasantly. He squeezed Zuko's hand almost painfully. "What happened to the runt who used to butt in on our meetings?" Zuko stiffened, but met Zhao's eyes levelly.

"That was a long time ago, Mr. Zhao," he said. Ozai walked out of the living room then. When Zuko saw him, he breathed in sharply.

"Zuko," Ozai greeted his son coolly.

"Father." Zuko bowed his head slightly. "I didn't realize you would be here. I didn't mean to interrupt." Ozai's mouth curled up into a shadow of a smile.

"Well, since you're already here, I think it would be a good idea for you to stay," he suggested. "I want you to start learning what it takes to keep a cooperation like Sozin running." Zuko stood gaping at his father. He started to nod mutely when Katara made a small sound from the door. Ozai and Zhao looked up at her sharply, noticing her for the first time. Ozai didn't say anything. He sized her up with his eyes, but he didn't betray anything on his face. Zhao was the one to greet her first.

"Zuko," he chided, smiling suavely at Katara. "How could you allow us old men to go on and on and leave this stunning creature in the corner?" He took Katara's hand to shake it. She had to force herself to smile politely at him.

"Why didn't you tell me we had a guest, Zuko?" Ozai asked coolly. His eyes hardened and he glared at his son. Zuko almost flinched under the gaze.

"I'm not really a guest," Katara cut in. Ozai turned his gaze on her. "I-I'm a friend of his…from the building. I…we were going to grab dinner, but Zuko wanted to drop his bag off first…sir." Katara looked down at her hands folded in front of her.

"You live in the building?" Ozai asked. Katara nodded quickly.

"2301. I…just moved in." Ozai stared down at her for a long moment, but finally his gaze softened slightly into curiosity.

"I didn't know any new tenants had moved in," he commented. He turned back to Zuko who had been watching the exchange between Katara and his father anxiously. When his father's eyes landed on him, he stood up straight like a soldier at attention. "I see you have plans already. You may go. But I want to here for the next meeting."

"Yes, sir." Zuko nodded, and almost bowed. Ozai turned and headed back into the living room. Zhao followed close behind, but he took a moment to glance back at the pair with a smirk on his lips.

"Have a nice evening," he said. Zuko grabbed Katara's hand and nearly dragged her out into the hallway, shutting the door firmly behind them.

"Your father is…intense." Katara released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Zuko hummed his agreement and pressed the call button for the elevator.

"Just never get on his bad side." The elevator doors opened and the two stepped inside. Katara stared incredulously at the door at the end of the hall as the doors slid shut.

"_That_ was his good side?"

"As close as I've ever seen," Zuko said. Katara shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. She thought of how close she had come to winding up in his hands.

"He scares me."

"He scares everyone. That's why he's so good at what he does." Katara looked at Zuko curiously.

"What does he do?" Zuko started to answer, but then he stopped and thought a moment.

"I don't really know exactly," he admitted. "But whatever it is, he wants me to take over someday." Katara looked at Zuko from the side of her eye and tried to imagine Zuko in his father's place, but she couldn't see him being so…intimidating. But, she reflected, maybe it was something you grew into.

"What about Zhao?" she asked.

"The guy gives me the creeps," Zuko said. He made a disgusted face, but shrugged. "He's pretty harmless, though." Katara nodded uncertainly, remembering how he had looked at her. The elevator doors opened.

Chey looked up from the desk and stopped in the middle of packing his satchel. With a wide grin, he greeted his young friends. The atmosphere was a jarring but welcomed departure from Zuko's apartment; even Zuko had to return Chey's smile, although his smile was more of a quick quirk of his lips.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better, Ms. Katara," he said. Katara grinned at him.

"There was nothing wrong with me that a nice cup of tea couldn't fix," she told him. "Are you heading out?"

'My shifts over," Chey answered, nodding. "Now I get to take my shift watching the baby." Katara's face lit up.

"You have a baby?" she asked.

"Our first," Chey said, smiling proudly. "A boy."

"A boy, Zuko," Katara looked at Zuko expectantly.

"Uh…" he said, intelligently. "What's…his name?" Katara gave him a slight, approving nod.

"His name is Hsin," Chey answered happily. He opened his satchel and pulled out his wallet. He flipped it open to show Katara and Zuko a picture of his wife holding their infant son.

"Oh! He's adorable!" Katara gushed. The kid was cute, Zuko had to admit. Chey's wife looked absolutely blissful. Zuko smiled slightly, remembering a time when he had been held like that.

"Well, I'd better get going," Chey said, snapping his wallet shut. Zuko flushed slightly and turned away. Chey gathered his things and waved good-bye to the two.

'Have a nice night,"Katara said. Zuko gave a slight wave back.

"See you tomorrow." When Chey was gone, Katara turned back to Zuko.

"Shall we?" she asked.

"Let's go." Zuko led the way to the basement stairs.

"The restaurant's in the basement?" she asked with an impatient whine.

"No, the restaurant's _not _in the basement," Zuko said rolling his eyes. He opened the door at the bottom of the stairs onto the underground garage. His car was parked in the far corner, almost hidden in the shadows. Zuko saw, with no small amount of pride, that Katara seemed completely awestruck by the sleek, black vehicle.

"They didn't look like _this_ a hundred years ago," she whispered. Zuko opened the passenger door open for her and Katara slipped gingerly inside.

"Fasten your seatbelt," Zuko said. Katara looked at him, confusedly, and Zuko grabbed his own seatbelt and demonstrated how to strap herself in. He started the car. Katara gripped her seat, but she her eyes were shining with anticipation, like a child on a rollercoaster for the first time.

"I've never actually ridden in one of these," she admitted. Zuko smirked and shifted into drive. He pulled out of the garage and took off down the street. Katara let out a small shriek, but her smile grew wider. Zuko took the corners a bit sharper than necessary; it made Katara laugh. Zuko rolled down the windows and the air swirled around the car, mussing their hair, which made Zuko laugh along with her, though not as loudly. They were both disappointed that the trip was so short. All too soon, they pulled to a stop outside of the diner.

"You may want to put that in order," Katara said amusedly. She pointed to his hair, which was sticking out in all directions. Zuko chucked and pulled down the passenger side mirror and pointed out Katara's own messy hair.

"You look just _lovely_," he countered sarcastically. Katara just shrugged and unraveled the wind tattered braid and let her hair fall around her shoulders to her waist. She rearranged the loops of hair framing her face so the held the rest of her hair back.

"Done!" She smiled smugly at Zuko's hair, still comically disarrayed. He swept his hand through it once, twice, three times and then shook it out. He examined himself in his mirror.

"That's as good as it's going to get," he said. Then Zuko got out and walked around to Katara's side and opened the door for her.

"Now there's a bit of chivalry you don't see anymore," observed an older woman as she and her husband strolled down the street. Zuko ducked his head from the couple. Katara flashed them a friendly smile before she and Zuko went into the diner.

"I see nothing's changed," Katara said amusedly. She and Zuko took a seat by the window. "Whenever I'm djinn to a young man, everyone assumes we're a couple."

"Does it bother you?" Zuko asked.

"Nah," Katara said waving a hand. "Sometimes the man does, though. Especially if there's someone he's interested in. One of my old masters tried to pass me off as his sister, but she didn't buy it for a second." Katara snickered at the memory of the young woman's stony face as her third- or was it fourth?- master tried to explain Katara's presence.

"What happened?"

"He was from the Fire Nation," Katara explained. "I was clearly from the Water Tribes. He kept wanting me to back him up. And I tried, I really did, but she didn't believe either of us. She poured her tea over his head for lying. Poor guy!" Katara tried to calm her laughing and look solemn. She managed to hold it together for a few seconds before she burst into giggles again.

"You think the misfortune of your masters is _funny_?" Zuko asked with a nervous smile.

"Just this one," Katara explained. She took a few deep breaths. "He was one of those people who never seems to get anything right. But it worked out in the end. He wished for his business to take off and when he got nice rich, the girl was willing to listen to him explain why he lied about his 'distant cousin' being his sister." Katara started laughing again. "But the scream when she dumped that hot tea on his head…EEEYARG! I've never heard a man make a sound like…like..." She was now laughing too hard to speak. Even Zuko had to smile a bit.

The waitress came over just then, ready to take their order. Katara motioned at Zuko and managed to gasp out through her laughter,

"I'll have what he's having." Zuko ordered for them both and the waitress left them alone. All the while Katara was still laughing.

"Are you done?" Zuko asked. Katara took a few deep breaths and wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes.

"Yes." She nodded. "I guess you had to be there."

"I guess so," Zuko agreed. Katara shrugged helplessly.

"I don't think anyone else found that story as amusing as I did either. But hey, my memories give me something to laugh at while I'm trapped in that jar. It gets so dull in there."

"How does that work?" Zuko asked.

"What do you mean?" Katara looked around the restaurant. Her eyes rested for a moment on a family in the corner, and then she looked back at Zuko.

"I mean, living in the pot," Zuko elaborated. "Are you aware the entire time you're in there?" Katara shuddered and shook her head.

"That would be awful!" she said. "I mostly sleep. It's like a…a leopard-grizzly, hibernating. I wake up every decade or so and I absorb what was going on around me. If a new master comes along, I'll wake up, but if not, I go back to sleep." Katara sighed sadly. "Sometimes, it's so long between new masters."

Katara lapsed into silence. The waitress returned with their orders then. She paused for a second when she saw Katara. The girl was startlingly subdued now. She set the bowls of noodles down in front of them and smiled at them.

"Let me know if you need anything, " she said. Katara and Zuko nodded and dug into their food.

"This is delicious!" Katara said. Her mood lifted almost immediately. Zuko decided now was a good time that had been on his mind all evening.

"One of your masters stabbed you with a sword?" Zuko asked. Katara looked up from the noodles she was messily slurping.

"Two of them," Katara said. She gulped down the noodles still in her mouth. "And then I had a master last century shoot me."

"What on earth for?" Zuko asked. Katara shrugged carelessly.

"The usual," she explained. "A wish gone wrong. They blame me, but more often than not it's their fault for not thinking things through." Zuko nodded slowly and picked at his own meal. They lapsed into silence. Katara slurped her noodles contentedly, but Zuko felt that he should be attempting conversation. He wracked his brain for something to talk about.

"How old are you?" he asked suddenly. Katara thought hard for a second.

"Um… 18 or 19, I think," she said. Zuko blinked in surprise.

"But you just said you're last master was a century ago." Katara set her chopsticks aside and wiped her hands with a napkin.

"Well, if you want to get technical," Karata said, thoughtfully," I'm around 513, but I was 18 or 19 when I became a djinn. I don't really remember."

"You weren't born a djinn?" Katara shook her head.

"No. I was turned into a djinn by another djinn."

"How?" Katara sighed sadly and hooked her arms over the back of a chair. She looked out of the window of the diner at the people passing by.

"I had my own djinn then. I made a thoughtless wish, and he warned me that I should rethink it, but I didn't listen, and it ended with me being turned into a djinn." She fell silent and for an uncomfortable moment, Zuko thought she was going to cry. But as quickly as the moment happened, it passed and Katara turned back to Zuko with a forced smile. "But that was a long time ago. I don't age, and as far as I know, I'll never die."

"That must be nice," Zuko said. Katara sat up straight and shook her head vehemently.

"No, it's not!" she said firmly. "I'd give anything to have a normal life. Look." Katara pointed to a table on the other side of the diner. Zuko turned and saw a family with a mother, father, and two young teenagers- a girl and boy. "I used to have that. I had parents and a brother and sister. I didn't appreciate what I had until I made one stupid wish. They didn't remember me when my first master found me. It was the only time I have ever seen history redone. I had been completely erased from their memories. But I remembered them. "

Katara still wasn't crying, but the aching longing in her eyes made Zuko want to cry for her. She turned her gaze back on him and Zuko felt like he was being pinned down by the intensity in her eyes.

"Be careful what you wish for," she implored him. "Please." Zuko couldn't speak. He nodded dumbly , and breathed a sigh of relief when Katara looked down at the table. He could move again. When Katara looked up again, she seemed to be back to her old self. She smiled apologetically.

"Sorry," she said laughing a bit. "I got a little intense there." Zuko hesitantly reached across the table to take Katara's hand.

"It's alright." Katara looked at his hand on hers for a moment. Then she turned her palm up and wrapped her fingers around his hand. Zuko marveled at how small her hand was compared to his. Katara had such a big personality, that it surprised him how delicate looking she really was. She looked up at him. This time her eyes were soft, and weary.

"I think… I'm ready to go home." Zuko nodded and called for the check.

The drive home was quiet, and with Chey gone for the night, the lobby of the building was just as silent. On the elevator, Katara slipped her hand into Zuko's . He looked at her in surprise, but didn't pull away. She smiled at him gratefully when the elevator stopped on her floor.

"Thank you."

The doors closed as Katara went into her apartment, then Zuko was alone on the elevator. It suddenly felt tight and claustrophobic. He wondered, looking around the small car, how he would feel to be trapped for 500 years in a pot a fraction of the size.

_Please review!* _

_*Flamers will be hunted by water and fire bending ninjas. _


	5. Chapter 5

_Well my town made it through the hurricane with a minimal amount of damage. Unfortunately I can't say the same for my hometown. I'm so grateful that none of my family members were hurt in the storm, but so many others were. Please keep the city of New York in your thoughts and prayers. _

_**Chapter 5**_

Ozai was in the kitchen when Zuko walked in the next morning. He looked up from his newspaper and nodded to his son.

"You're coming to work with me today," he said, setting aside the paper.

"What?" Zuko did a double take. Ozai rolled his eyes.

"You're coming to work with me today," he repeated. "I want you to see what I do, and perhaps _you_ will be doing, someday."

"What about class?" Zuko could have kicked himself as the words as the words left his mouth. Ozai's face set coldly. Zuko ducked his head. "I'm sorry, sir."

"While I find it admirable that you're so concerned about your studies," he said deliberately, "I think your time today would be better spent on some hands on experience. However, if you disagree, you're free to go to your classes. I'm sure Azula will be more than happy to join me." Zuko's spine went rigid at that.

"No, sir," he said firmly. "I can afford to miss class today."

"Good." Ozai picked his paper back up and waved Zuko off. "Please put on something more appropriate. We leave in an hour."

Zuko had to resist the urge to bow to his father. He went back to his room and sank against the door. The reality of the situation caught up with him then. In his entire life, Zuko couldn't remember his father taking him anywhere. His mother had taken him and his sister places while she was alive. His father had always been too busy to join them. After she died, Zuko's uncle, Iroh, had taken the young children out when he was in town. The rest of the time they were largely left to their own devices, until a few years ago.

Ozai had begun taking Azula to work with him while she was still in high school and Zuko had just started at the University. He had said that Azula had shown remarkable potential and from then he had taken the girl under his wing in a way he had never done with either of his children before, even after their mother had died. Zuko was jealous at first, but the truth was, he was always in awe of his father- even a bit afraid of him- and he was glad that Ozai was focusing his intensity on his sister and not him. Until today.

Zuko sighed and glanced up towards his closet. He had just a split second to suppress a scream. It came out as a strangled, gagging sound. Katara was sitting on his bed reading a magazine, looking completely nonchalant.

"Good morning to you, too," she said raising an eyebrow. "I hope you finished your homework last night. I'd really hate for you to waste another wish on that."

"You _have_ to stop doing that," Zuko said, annoyed. He stood up straight and rubbed the sore spot on his back where he had hit the door knob. "What are you doing in here, anyway? What if my sister or my father had seen you?"

"You worry too much." Katara tossed the magazine aside and stood up. She was prepared for class in jeans and a tee shirt, and a blue bag slung over her shoulder. "Grab your stuff and let's go."

"I'm not going to class today," he informed her.

"Why, Zuko, are you ditching?" she asked. She wriggled her brows mischievously. "I _have _been a good influence! So what are we doing today?"

"My father's taking me to work with him." Zuko turned away from her and opened his closet. He dug around until he found the one suit he owned. Katara was watching him when he turned around. Her expression was unreadable.

"What?" he asked. The way she was looking at him was unnerving.

"Nothing." Katara simply shrugged and set her bag down. Zuko scowled and draped his suit on the back of his desk chair.

"It's never 'nothing' with you," he said. "What is it?" Katara's entire demeanor changed. She smirked amusedly.

"What makes you an expert in what's going on in my mind?" she asked. "You've known me three days, and I have five centuries of nuance in my character to sort through." Zuko glared at her pointedly and folded his arms. "Fine. If you_ must_ know, I was just wondering how you were planning to take me with you."

"I'm not taking you with me," he told her.

"Yes, you are, Zuko," she said cheerfully. "You're my charge. I have to stay close to you. In case you have a wish." Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes skyward. Having a djinn was more trouble than it was worth, he decided.

"I can't take you with me," he tried to explain. "My father takes his work very seriously. He'll never allow you to come with us." Katara walked over to the desk. She picked up her pot and put it in Zuko's hand.

"Who says he has to know I'm there?" Her eyes gleamed with a mystical light. Zuko found that he couldn't think of a single good argument. He nodded dumbly, and with a secretive smile, Katara shimmered and turned into a mist that poured into the pot. The top clattered on last of all, and the pot sat on his desk looking deceptively innocent. Zuko picked the pot up and examined it. It didn't feel any heavier.

_**Be careful not to lose my pot.**_

The pot clattered to the ground. Zuko looked around wildly, but the voice seemed to have been in his head.

_**Watch it!**_ Katara's voice rang in his head. She sounded angry.

"Sorry?" Zuko said, uncertainly.

_**I'm dizzy!**_ Katara complained. Zuko picked the pot off the floor gingerly and set it back on the desk.

"I'm sorry!" he said, leaning over the pot. "I just wasn't expecting you to do that." Zuko frowned to himself. He was talking to a pot.

_**Well, get used to it. **_Katara grumbled. _**And don't drop me anymore!**_ Zuko rolled his eyes. He glanced around the room and found the satchel his father had given him on his last birthday. He put the pot inside carefully and then set about getting himself ready for the day.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Ozai looked his son over critically when he came out of his room, his eyes lingering on his face, and on his scar. He didn't say anything , which Zuko took it as a sign that he wasn't completely disappointed. Without a word, Ozai led the way out of the house to the elevator and the two men stepped inside. Zuko forced himself not to fidget with his collar. He hardly wore suits; he hated the feeling of ties. He chanced a glance over at his father, who was looking directly ahead at the elevator doors. He didn't seem nearly as uncomfortable as Zuko felt. He looked impossibly perfect. His suit was black with a gleaming white shirt beneath. His long hair was pulled back with a neat, tight top knot secured by a flame shaped pin. The rest of it hung around his shoulder blades. It would have looked effeminate on any other man, but on Ozai, it was as intimidating as everything else about the man. Zuko had attempted to pull his messy hair into a top knot, as well, but his hair was too short. He settled for combing it neatly away from his face.

Chey was at the front desk when they reached the ground floor. He greeted Zuko with a friendly wave, which Zuko returned. Ozai saw the exchange with his usual stoic gaze, but Zuko had the distinct feeling that he didn't approve.

There was a car waiting for them outside the building. It was dark with heavily tinted windows. The driver held the back door open and Zuko slid in ahead of Ozai. The door slammed shut behind them, ominously. Zuko shuddered, and immediately berated himself for it. He couldn't let his nerves get the best of him. He set his satchel on his lap and felt the outline of the pot inside, grateful that at the very least, there would be _one _friendly person with him.

The ride to the Sozin Inc. headquarters was as quiet as Zuko expected, though he couldn't help feeling disappointed that Ozai hadn't even told him what was to be expected from him that day.

_Same as always, probably,_ Zuko thought, sardonically. _Be seen, not heard._ Ozai was unaware, or unconcerned with his son's discomfiture. He spent the trip frowning over some paperwork.

The car pulled to a stop outside of Sozin Inc. a while later. The building was as dark and intimidating as the man who ran the company. The entire building was paneled in dark glass that didn't seem to reflect any of the sunlight hitting it. It was over forty stories tall, and easily the tallest building in the immediate area. It was a popular stop for tourist. There was an observation deck on the roof that boasted an amazing panoramic view of the city. Zuko had only been there a handful of times with his mother or Uncle, and then he had only been there for a few minutes. This was the first time he would really get a chance to see it.

"We have an incredibly important meeting today," Ozai said. "We are negotiating a merger with Gyatso. It will open new opportunities within the Air Nation. However, they have been a bit…resistant. I want you to watch the negotiations." Zuko nodded mutely, and then realized that his father wasn't looking at him. He cleared his throat.

"Um...yes, sir," he said.

_**There goes that 'um' again.**_ Zuko scowled and shook his satchel. _**Hey!**_ Zuko ignored Katara's protest and followed his father through the building.

They arrived in the board room just before the meeting started. Zhao and another man Zuko didn't recognize were already there. Zhao was pouring over packets of paper and the man was at the computer, setting up the presentation it seemed. They both stood when Ozai entered the room and nodded politely at his son.

"Zuko is here to learn more about the family business," was all Ozai said by way of introduction. "He's going to watch the meeting. Anything I need to be made aware of before Gyatso gets here?" Zhao collected the papers he was looking through, while Zuko settled himself into a chair furthest from the door. The man at the computer finished his work and left the room without a word.

"Gyatso is worried about the future of his employees," he said. "He wants to make sure anyone who isn't being kept on will be given a generous severance package." Ozai poured himself some water and smirked.

"Well, that's unfortunate," he said. "I feel we have been _very_ generous, don't you?"

"Absolutely," Zhao agreed with a smirk of his own. Zuko felt unnerved by the exchange, but he kept quiet.

As the time for the meeting drew near, businessmen and women slowly trickled into the room. The few that noticed Zuko bowed their heads politely before settling into their seats and chatting quietly among themselves. Zuko sat up tall and tried his best not to look out of place. Gyatso Monk arrived and the meeting began.

Zuko did his best to follow along with the presentation, but he began to lose focus after nearly an hour. Glancing over at Gyatso, Zuko knew that he wasn't the only one finding the whole ordeal boring. Katara was behaving well, considering. She hadn't tried to pull anything like the magic note, but she would occasionally make a loud, exaggerated snoring sound. It took a lot of self-control for Zuko not to laugh. He let a giggle slip once and had to disguise it as a cough. Ozai glared at him, and then turned back to the presentation. Gyatso caught his eye and smiled slightly. Zuko smiled back, and before he could stop himself, he yawned. Gyatso gave him a sympathetic look and tapped his watch significantly. Zuko nodded. This was taking entirely too long.

It seemed that Ozai's plan was to keep the presentation going until Gyatso gave in and sold his company just to shut them up. It was into the second hour of the presentation when Zuko finally saw something that caught his attention. Zhao was going over their plans for Gyatso's company. Gyatso ran a company that specialized in clean air technology. They had just recently completed the design on a car that literally ran on air. Zuko sat up straighter and focused on the power point. The idea was ingenious, although, the car itself was still in the prototype phase. Gyatso had even proposed to retrofit older car models to make the technology affordable to lower income families. Zuko could understand why Ozai wanted in on this company. Gyatso, and his partner-Zuko couldn't think of his name- were geniuses.

"I'm afraid that once we acquire the company," Ozai drawled, "this project will have to go on the backburner." Zuko looked at his father in shock.

"Why?" Everyone's eyes turned to Zuko, several of them seeming to see him for the first time. Gyatso looks surprised, but grateful. Ozai glowered at him intensely, and Zuko considered wishing for Katara to make him invisible.

"Do you have something to share, Zuko?" Ozai asked with a hard edge on his voice.

_**What's happening? Why's it so quiet?**_ Katara demanded. Zuko felt like he was having an out of body experience, or a horrible nightmare. Ozai was still looking at him expectantly. He should apologize. Pass it off as a cough or sneeze. Anything but sit there gawking like an idiot. Clearing his throat, Zuko stood up and wracked his mind for something to say.

"I think Gyatso's project would be a great investment," he found himself saying. The room was so quiet, that Zuko could hear the whirring of the computer. Gyatso smiled encouragingly, and Zhao looked amused. Zuko didn't have the nerve to look at his father. "W-with the focus on clean air technology and everyone wanting to…umm…be more eco friendly, I just thought that investing in a wind powered car would be a sound business move."

"Is that so," Ozai said. His voice was cold, but that was nothing new. Zuko took a breath and kept going, urging himself not to babble like an idiot.

"It would be a great publicity move," he said. "The people would see that you care about the environment which would give you more public support. And if Sozin Inc. can put out the first wind powered car, it could corner the market and that would drive profits through the roof, even with the more economical models. "

_**Bravo, Zuko!**_ Katara sounded impressed, at least. The only other friendly face in the room was Gyatso's. Everyone else was unnervingly silent. Zuko wasn't certain if he should sit down or stay on his feet. His back muscles were starting to burn with tension, but he didn't want to look like he didn't believe what he just said.

"And how would you propose to keep the project going, Zuko?" Zuko knew it was a loaded question, but he answered anyway.

"We could hire the team that Gyatso has working on it," he said. "The lead on the project...um…" picked up the folder at his seat and flipped through it anxiously. "Um…it just says the Mechanist here…"

"That's what we call him," Gyatso cut in helpfully. "We have his real name on file somewhere, but no one ever uses it."

"Um…right."

_**Stop saying um!**_ Katara chided. Zuko frowned and knocked his satchel over with his foot. _** Hey!**_

"We can hire the Mechanist to lead…the…project…" Ozai looked furious. He turned to Zhao, who smirked back at him. Then Zhao smiled saccharinely at Zuko.

"I can see maybe it was too soon for your father to bring you in," he said, condescendingly. "There's a lot of things to be considered before we just jump into hiring people and taking over projects that are, at best, risky investments. As we have explained to Mr. Gyatso in previous meetings, Sozin Inc just can't afford to hire that many people right now. Most of them will have to be let go."

"You're talking about putting thousands of people out of work," Gyatso jumped in then. Zuko was grateful when Ozai's piercing gaze turned from him to the older man. Gyatso wasn't cowed. "What on earth do you want with my company if you're going to dismantle our biggest projects and fire most of our people?"  
"We've explained, Mr. Gyatso," Zhao cut in smoothly. "Acquiring your company represents a most profitable move for Sozin Inc." Gyatso snorted in disgust.

"What you mean to say is that we represent a threat that you want gone," he surmised. "Well, you'll have to find another way to deal with us. This is business, _gentlemen_," Gyasto spat the word out like a curse, "learn to live with a little competition. I won't sell. We're done here."

Gyatso gathered his coat and briefcase and prepared himself to leave. With a curt nod to Ozai and Zhao, he headed out. Ozai turned back to Zuko. He was extremely unhappy. Zuko flushed deeply. He picked up his satchel and mumbling some excuse about finding a bathroom, he almost ran out of the room.

Zuko checked under all of the stalls of the restroom before he pulled Katara's pot from his bag and opened it. A bluish gray mist poured out, and then Katara was suddenly sitting on the sink in front of him.

"I really screwed up back there," he said, running a shaky hand through his hair.

"It seemed like it went really well to me," Katara said, frowning. "Your plan was solid. You made a lot of good points. Of course, I have limited experience with business, but I don't think you did badly." Zuko scoffed and shook his head.

"You didn't see my father's face," he told her. "If he could have gotten away with killing me just then, I think he would have." The restroom door opened and Zuko spun around, panicked. Gyatso paused when he saw Zuko, but he smiled kindly. Zuko glanced over his shoulder, and sure enough, Katara was nowhere in sight.

"That got a bit intense, didn't it?" Gyatso commented. Zuko nodded dumbly. Gyatso turned on one of the sinks and splashed some water over his face. He rested his forehead against the mirror and sighed. He was older than Zuko thought at first. Gyatso was bald, but he had a full, but manicured, beard. There were streaks of grey in it. His face was crisscrossed with lines now it was drawn with worry.

"For what it's worth," Zuko said, hesitantly. "I think you're doing the right thing by not selling." Gyatso looked up at Zuko and smiled sadly.

"I just hope that's enough to end this." The older man sighed and stuck out his hand to Zuko. "And I hope that one day this company will have someone like you leading it in the right direction." The two shook hands and Gyatso left.

"Such a nice man." Katara was on the sink again. Zuko managed not to be startled by her sudden appearance this time.

"We'd better get back to my father," he said. He held the pot out and Katara rolled her eyes.

"Why can't we just go?" she asked. Zuko still held the pot out insistently.

"I'm not going to hide from my father," he said. Katara raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I'm not going to _continue_ hiding from my father. If I do, he'll only chew me out worse later."

"Fine,' Katara grumbled, already fading. The mist swirled around the rest room, and poured into the pot. The lid slammed down behind it with a loud _snap_. Katara was annoyed.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"That could have gone better," Zhao commented. He stared out of the large picture window of Ozai's office into the street below. It was too far for him to see Gyatso leave, but he imagined that the old man was wandering among the pedestrians on the ground. He wouldn't have driven. He probably rode a bike. Zhao scoffed at such foolishness. Oazi sat at his desk, his face as unreadable as ever.

"It would have been easier to deal with Gyatso if he had simply sold us his company," Ozai agreed. "But there are other ways of dealing with this problem."

"We could always leave him alone," Zhao suggested offhandedly. "After all, his is a relatively small company, and his prototype is years away from being workable." Ozai shook his head and tossed a packet of paper towards Zhao.

"The man he has working on the prototype- this Mechanist- is an impressive inventor," he told his partner. "He designed that tumbler tank that Azulon Corp. bought ten years ago. He went off the map after that-some sort of breakdown or something-but he came out of retirement to work on this car. If he's behind it, I think it may be sooner than later before we see a successful prototype. That wouldn't mean anything good for Sozin Group."

Zhao assented that Ozai had a point. He sat down in the chair across from Ozai and put his feet up on the desk. Zhao was the only one allowed to get away with such familiarity- and that only just barely. Ozai looked at the feet on his desk coldly, but didn't say anything.

"You know what our next course of action is," he said. Zhao sighed with mock regret.

"Well, we did warn him." Ozai smiled a bit at that. There was a knock on the door and Zuko stuck his head in.

"I'll leave it to you," Ozai said lowly. "I have to go deal with my son." Zhao chuckled and stood up.

"Go easy on the kid, sir." Zhao left, still laughing to himself as he passed Zuko. Then the father and son were alone.

"Sir?" Zuko said walking in. Ozai held up his hand to silence him.

"How dare you?" he asked dangerously. Zuko stood up straight.

"I didn't mean to offend you," Zuko defended himself. "I just thought-"

"You didn't think!" Ozai cut him off. "You shot off the first idiotic idea that came to your head. You may have cost me the deal." Zuko flinched at the accusations, but he stood firm.

"I'm sorry if I-"

"I'm not done!" Ozai glared at Zuko for a long moment. "I am willing to overlook this indiscretion because I was impressed that you took the initiative to say anything at all today. However, you will only speak when you are spoken to from now on. You may be my son, and you may even be the leader of this company someday, but you are barely more than a child, and I will not have you interrupting my meetings like that again. Am I clear?"

Zuko couldn't answer immediately. He was seething. And the worst of it was, as much as he hated that his father thought of him as a child, Zuko couldn't help feeling like one when he was facing Ozai. Finally he nodded his head.

"Good," Ozai said. "I've already called for our car. We're leaving now." Ozai swept past Zuko and his son followed him out, feeling uncomfortably like one of the turtle-ducks his mother used to take him to see at the park.

_REVIEW!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Four score and seven migraines ago, I set out to complete this chapter. This was the hardest chapter for me to write for some reason, but I'm pleased to say that with an hour left to spare on my Monday deadline, I have done it! Enjoy, readers!_

**Chapter 6**

Ozai didn't say anything all the way back to the apartment. When he and Zuko got home, he went into his office and that was the last that Zuko saw of him that evening. Azula was lounging on the couch. She looked up when her father and brother walked in, but she didn't greet them, and Ozai didn't say anything to her either. When his office door closed, she followed Zuko into the kitchen.

"So, it was 'take your son to work day', Zuzu?" She leaned against the doorframe. Zuko grunted as he rooted around refrigerator. Azula came into the kitchen and sat at the island in the center of the kitchen and started playing with the clasp of Zuko's satchel.

"How badly did you screw up?" she asked, pulling the flap of the bag up. Zuko jumped and hit his head on the shelf.

"Why don't you mind your…DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Zuko dove across the table to grab the satchel from Azula's hands before she found the pot. He managed to catch his sister by surprise, which was rare. She watched, stunned, as Zuko took the satchel and a bottle of water and left the kitchen, glaring at Azula as he went.

"Hmm," Azula mused after he was gone. Zuko didn't often respond with that kind of force- not for something as small as Azula poking around his things. She had seen the pot in his bag. It was practically the only thing in it, so Zuko was trying to keep the pot from her. It was probably, Azula surmised, from their uncle. But why would Zuko be hiding it? Azula would find out.

Azula crept quietly towards Zuko's room. She heard voices coming from behind the door and frowned. Who could be in there? She put her hand on the knob and flung the door open. Zuko was in the middle of taking off his tie. His jacket had been tossed carelessly across his bed and the satchel was resting by the closet door. He was completely alone.

"Do I really need to start locking my door?" he asked, scowling at Azula. She surveyed the room carefully, focusing on the closet and under the bed.

"I thought I heard voices," she said suspiciously. "I thought I heard a _girl's_ voice, specifically."  
"Erm…That would probably be me." Both Azula and Zuko's eyes flew to his desk. The pot was there and next to the pot was Zuko's cell phone. "Zuko do you have me on speaker?"

Katara sounded exasperated, and Zuko looked at his sister gloatingly. Azula watched him, suspiciously while he pulled his tie off and picked up the phone.

"Sorry, Katara," he said, still smirking at his sister. "I had get out of this monkey suit. Did I miss anything interesting today?"

"Not really," Katara answered. "But I think Sokka was looking for you. You've got to get in touch with him about the project."

"Right, right. I'll call him later." Zuko raised hand and waved his sister off. Azula glared at him stonily, but left, closing the door behind her.

Zuko waited a moment before he got up and locked the door securely.

"Is she gone?" Katara asked. Zuko listened at the door for a second. Soon he heard the click of Azula's door closing and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"She's gone," he confirmed.

"Good." Bluish gray mist swirled out of his phone and Katara appeared sitting on his chair. "Maybe we ought to stop talking in here. She was too close. _Far_ too close."

"Yeah." Zuko shuddered at the thought of Azula finding about Katara. The djinn stood up and wandered aimlessly around the room. Zuko sat on his bed and watched her disinterestedly.

"You're making me dizzy," he said after a while. Katara stopped and gave him a deadpan stare.

"Call it payback," she muttered. Then she hopped up on the edge of his desk. "I'm getting restless. Don't you want to do something or make a wish? Anything?" Zuko thought for a long time. He actually had several wishes, but most of them were out of Katara's abilities. Finally a thought hit him.

"I wish I was better at business," he said. "I want to be able to prove myself to my father." Katara made a face and for a moment, Zuko thought she was going to try to dissuade him. She didn't and she waved a hand at him. Zuko waited for a minute or two, but he didn't feel anything.

"I feel the same," he said, with consternation. Katara threw her hands up, in exasperation.

"What did you want? To feel your brain growing? A magic suit that gives you super business powers?"

"Well, I could do with less of your sarcasm," Zuko grumbled. Katara rolled her eyes and sighed heavily.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm just in a mood today. Anyway, your wish has been granted. You're down to twelve." Katara sighed again and started pacing again. Zuko watched her for another few minutes.

"You want to tell me what's bothering you?" Katara looked at him in surprise.

"I'm…fine," she told him. Zuko looked unconvinced.

"Weren't you the one who was on my case about being open and letting people in, and all of that?" Katara folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at Zuko.

"Those weren't my exact words," she said.

"Close enough." Zuko moved to the edge of the bed and looked at Katara expectantly. "The way I figure, that works both ways. I mean, we are friends, aren't we?" Katara paused, and then smiled slightly.

"I guess we are," she said. She sat down on the bed next to Zuko. "There's not anything really wrong in particular. I always get a little restless after I've been out for a while. And overwhelmed. I don't know what to do with myself." Zuko and Katara sat in silence for a while longer. Then Katara went over to Zuko's desk again and tossed him his cell phone.

"Call Sokka," she said. "You have a friendship to build. Oh and a project or something to do." Zuko stared at Katara suspiciously. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and then faded into nothing. Zuko assumed she went back to her apartment. It seemed she was done talking for now.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"So what exactly is the project supposed to be?" Zuko asked Sokka, taking a sip of his coffee. The two men were lounging in a quiet corner of the café with their economic books and snacks strewn on the table between them. Sokka dug through his pile of papers and found the directions for the project.

"Les she," he said around a mouthful of fruit tarts. He swallowed it in a gulp and read the paper. "We have to pick a company and based on its past performance predict its profit margin for the next year. Jeong wants us to also make suggestions for how the company we pick can improve its profits and make a twenty minute presentation on it. I guess we'd better pick a company." Sokka looked at Zuko meaningfully.

"We'd better start researching businesses then," Zuko said, ignoring Sokka's not too subtle hint. "I can have a list by-"

"What about your dad's company?" Sokka jumped in impetuously. Zuko made a face. The idea of doing a project based on his father's company made him uncomfortable. He had spent his scholastic career proving to teachers and classmates that he didn't need to rely on his father to succeed, and to use Sozin as the basis for his and Sokka's project felt like a step backwards. Zuko motioned around the café.

"What about _your _dad's company?" Sokka waved off the suggestion carelessly.

"I thought about it, but we're too small," he told Zuko. "Sozin Inc. is a powerhouse in the business world. How can you _not_ want to use it?"

"A small business can be just as interesting as a big company," Zuko countered. "More interesting, even, because small business profits can swing a lot more than a corporation's. And who knows? We may even be able to come up with a plan that your dad can actually use." Sokka sat back in his seat and contemplated what Zuko said for a moment.

"We could do the same thing with Sozin Inc," he pointed out. "It would probably really impress your father. Heck, graduation's closer than I'd care to think about. _I _could use a recommendation from a company like Sozin." Zuko didn't have an argument for that. The whole situation suddenly had a new significance to it. An opportunity to impress his father? This must be his wish coming true. Katara was nowhere around to ask- in fact, Zuko hadn't seen her since she had left his room almost three hours earlier-, but Zuko was sure this was her roundabout way of granting his wish. Zuko looked at Sokka and nodded.

"Alright," he said. "We'll use Sozin for our project. I'll ask my dad if he can give me copies of our reports for the last year." Sokka grinned and hit his fist on the table in his delight.

"Great!" he exclaimed. "I'll get started on pulling together some background info on the company for the presentation."

"It's a plan," Zuko agreed. He smiled slightly, though he wasn't as exuberant as Sokka. Sokka for his part was happily packing his school work away. It had taken much less time than either of them had planned, and that didn't bother Sokka in the slightest. Tucking his school bag safely away, he turned his attention back to Zuko.

"So, how did things go with Katara?" Zuko blanched. Sokka raised an eyebrow and smirked a bit. "That good, huh?"

"Um…" Zuko thought about how to answer that. "It went well. I mean we had fun. And we talked. I don't really know what else to say."

Sokka didn't say anything. He was convinced there was more to the story than Zuko let on. His best guess would have been that Zuko liked Katara as more than just a friend, but the truth was, Sokka hadn't really seen much evidence for it. Of course, Zuko was difficult to read, so Sokka wouldn't have put money on it one way or another. He decided not to push his new friend, though and changed the subject.

"Some friends and I are having a cook out next week," he told Zuko. "You want to join us?" Zuko froze. His first instinct was to say no. Sokka saw his discomfort.

"Don't even think about saying no," he said. "You could use a little social interaction in your life. I'd hate to be the one to tell you this, but you come off a bit frosty. Now _I_ can tell you're a cool guy, but you'd have a lot more fun if you'd just loosen up." Zuko glared at Sokka stonily. Sokka held his hands up defensively and smiled nervously.

"Thanks for the unsolicited character analysis," Zuko said sarcastically. Sokka shrugged, still smiling.

"If you can't trust your friends to be honest, who can you trust?" Sokka replied, his smile still firmly in place. Zuko stared at him grumpily as he shoved his books into his school bag, but he agreed to the cook out. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he knew Sokka was right. And he knew Katara would agree. He could almost hear her snarky voice.

_**He's right. You **__are__** really boring,**_ Zuko could hear her say. _**And watch how you drop those books! You keep rattling my pot! **_ Zuko's eyes widened in shock. He dug around his backpack frantically and found Katara's pot resting innocently at the bottom. How on earth had she done that? _When _had she done that?

_**I've told you not to leave this just lying around,**_ Katara's disembodied voice scolded him. _**Now, stop messing with your bag. You're scaring your friend.**_ Zuko looked up and saw that Sokka was looking at him oddly.

"Are you alright?" Sokka asked, looking at Zuko in concern. Zuko blushed when he realized that he had been staring into his bag.

"Everything's fine!" he said, hurriedly. "Just…making sure I had my…wallet!" Zuko pulled his wallet from beneath the pot. "See, I have it! Um…The cookout. Should I bring anything?"

"Yeah," Sokka said, still looking at Zuko suspiciously. "You can bring drinks. Whatever you want. Bring enough for about ten people."

"Fine, fine!" Zuko agreed instantly, smiling far too widely.

_**Smooth.**_ Zuko could almost hear Katara rolling her eyes. Sokka looked like he was about to say something else, but they were interrupted by the waitress throwing a dishtowel at Sokka's face.

"Are you ready to get back to work?" Suki asked, her arms folded and her eyebrow quirked.

_**Ooh! I like her, **_Katara commented, amusedly._** She's feisty! **_Sokka was on his feet in an instant. He kissed his clearly irritated girlfriend.

"What's the matter, Suki?" Sokka asked, nervously.

"Uh, _hello_!" Suki motioned around the café which was experiencing a sudden rush. Sokka and Zuko looked around, wondering how they missed the influx of people. The rest of the wait staff was rushing around taking and delivering orders. They looked as frazzled as Suki did.

"Yikes!" Sokka murmured. He stood up and grabbed his apron from the back of his chair and threw it over his head and made his apologies to Zuko. "Gotta go. I'll give you more details about the cookout later."

"Nice to see you again, Zuko," Suki said, pushing Sokka towards the kitchen. "Sorry we've got to rush off!" Zuko waved good bye to the pair.

_**So…**_ Katara said. _** Want to go do something? How about ice cream? I haven't had ice cream in a hundred years!**_

Zuko rolled his eyes skyward as he gently put his backpack on. Katara seemed to be in a better mood, at least. He walked out of the busy café into the warm spring afternoon, and then froze.

To be honest, Zuko knew he shouldn't have been surprised to see Katara waiting for him. She was leaning nonchalantly against a lamp post outside of the café. She smiled at him slyly when she saw him staring at her in shock.

"You ready to go?" she asked cheerfully. She walked up beside him and linked her arm through his. "Now how about that ice cream?" Zuko scowled at her, but there was a smile playing on the edges on her lips. He let her keep her hold on his arm.

"You have serious problems," he said, laughing a little. Katara grinned up at him.

"Yes, I do," she agreed. "My egregious lack of sweetened frozen milk product."

Sokka watched the two through the window from his place behind the counter. He saw the look on Zuko's face and smirked. Now he was really looking forward to his new friend coming to the cookout. Sokka would need more people in the betting pool.

_Review!_


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N So I'm back on this story. Yay! Unfortunately, my life is about to become a scrambled complicated mess of moving and flying and all sorts of fun stuff. I'm excited! But that means that my updates are going to continue to be very inconsistent. Thanks for all your patience, and go and read my completed stories (there's more than you may think ;])_

_**Chapter 7**_

The Mechanist shivered in the cool night air, but the breeze felt good after the scorching heat of the day. It felt as if the heat wave that had held the city was finally giving way. Not that the Mechanist had spent much time in the worst of the heat. His days for the past few months had been spent in his workshop in the company's basement working on the car he had designed for Gyatso. It was more difficult than he thought it would be, but it felt good to feel his tools in his hands again.

Looking around the street, the Mechanist realized for the first time that he was alone. Frowning he checked his watch. It was well after midnight and it seemed that he was the only one working late. His phone rang, cutting through the quiet night.

"Hello?'

"Dad?" his son's voice came through the line.

"Teo!" The Mechanist said, in surprise. "What are you still doing up?"

"You the Mechanist?" a strange man asked. The Mechanist pulled the phone away and looked at it. How had it switched over to a new call? It hadn't. The Mechanist's home phone number was still on the phone's screen. In the background, he could hear scuffling and Teo grunting angrily.

"Who are you?" the Mechanist demanded. "Let my son go!"

"I don't think you're in a position to make demands," the man said harshly. Teo whimpered in pain. The Mechanist clutched the phone to his ear desperately.

"Don't hurt him!" the Mechanist pleaded. "Please! Just tell me what you want."

"That's better," the man said, smugly. "Tell me, what kind of father leaves a cripple son on his own?"

"Don't talk to my father that way!" Teo protested angrily. The man cried out in pain and the Mechanist heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh. The man had hit Teo.

"You ought to teach your brat not to bite," the man hissed angrily.

"He's a little boy!" The Mechanist fought back tears. "He's scared."

"Whatever," the man growled.

"Please tell me what you want," the Mechanist begged.

"I represent some very powerful interests," the man explained. "You're standing in the way of my employer and he asked me to issue you your pink slip." The Mechanist went silent. He was utterly confused.

"I...don't understand…"

"You're going to dissolve your partnership with Gyatso. My employer feels you are wasting your talents and wants you to go back to more _useful _endeavors." The Mechanist stood frozen in the middle of the empty sidewalk. Anger welled up in his chest.

"And if I refuse?" he asked when he could control his voice again. The man didn't answer. Instead, Teo cried out in pain. The Mechanist's anger melted into desperate fear. "Alright! Alright! I'll do it! Leave my son alone!"

"I thought you'd see it my way," the man said. The screaming stopped, but the Mechanist could still hear Teo whimpering. He dug around his pocket for his car keys and hurried to his car.

"Who are you working for?" the Mechanist demanded as he fumbled with his key. He managed to get the key into the ignition.

"That's not your concern for now," the man told him. "All you need to know is that they'll be in touch when you're needed, and you'll be compensated nicely for your trouble. Come on home to your boy. I'll be long gone before you get here." The line went dead. The Mechanist gritted his teeth and peeled off down the street. He had sworn that he was done with war machines ten years ago. He promised over his wife's grave that he was done with an industry that had kept him from his young family and for ten years he had succeeded. Now it seemed he was being dragged back into it. His hands tightened around the steering wheel and his foot pressed the accelerator a bit harder. He would find whoever was behind this and…and…

_ And?_

He took his foot off the gas and sighed. He knew what he would do. Nothing. They had threatened his son, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to handle a threat like that with force. He would do what he had to do. He would kill innocent people and aid murderers in order to protect his son. What were those people to him, anyway? He would never see their faces or know their names. He could live with the guilt. As long as he could protect his son; that was all that really mattered.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Zuko didn't know why he was sneaking back into his house. He was a grown man, and he hadn't had a curfew since he was sixteen. Yet here he was, creeping into his apartment, with his shoes in his hands, like some high schooler facing grounding. He rolled his eyes at himself and avoided the creaky spot in the doorway.

It wasn't actually very late. Zuko and Katara had gone for ice cream and eaten walked through the park. Afterwards, they went out to get some dinner.

"I can't remember the last time I had dinner before dessert," Zuko laughed after the waitress had taken their order.

"That's sad," Katara said, shaking her head. "Well, it's a good thing you've got me around!"

They went out for more ice cream after dinner and ate it on the way back home. They made it back to the building around nine and after Zuko walked Katara to her door- on her insistence, because that's what gentlemen did- he went to his own floor. It was dark and quiet, meaning that his father and sister had either gone to bed, or were holed up working on their own projects. Either way, Zuko decided he would just as soon avoid seeing them- especially his father who hadn't quite forgiven him for the meeting debacle.

The coast was clear. Zuko made it to his bedroom. He had just slipped in and was about to close the door when suddenly the hall way was filled with a dim light.

"Zuko." He cringed and turned towards his father who was standing in the doorway of his office. With the light hitting him from behind, it was difficult for Zuko to see Ozai's face. He was an intimidating shadow, and Zuko was sure he had done it on purpose.

"Father," Zuko replied, inclining his head slightly.

"Where have you been?" Ozai asked. He sounded disinterested, but Zuko knew that his father never made inquiries just to be polite.

"I was working on a project for school, " Zuko told him, hesitantly. Ozai said nothing, he turned back into his office, leaving his door open. Zuko sighed, but took the hint and walked down the hall. Ozai was already at his desk again and pouring over some paperwork by the time Zuko walked in.

"Close the door," he ordered, without looking up. Zuko shut the door behind him and walked over to Ozai's desk. He hesitated a moment, and then sat in the chair across from his father. Ozai looked up, affronted at the bold move.

"I didn't tell you to sit," Ozai said calmly. Zuko felt his heart leap into his throat, but he replied just as calmly.

"You didn't," Zuko agreed. Ozai stared him coldly, but Zuko held his gaze levelly, though he could feel his cheeks flush. He had just challenged his father's authority by sitting without his permission.

_But it's such a stupid rule,_ Zuko thought. _I'm his son, not his employee._

The move seemed to work. Ozai's posture didn't change, and his face stayed the same, but there was a new gleam in his eyes. Zuko could almost call it respect. It passed quickly. Ozai stood up and walked around to the front of the desk and stood over his son.

"I have thought about what happened today," Ozai said after a moment, "I will admit that I was impressed that you thought to speak up at all during the meeting." Zuko looked at his father in surprise, and Ozai continued, "It was foolish and misguided, true. But it shows an initiative that I didn't think you had in you. With some guidance, you may make something of yourself yet." Zuko felt overwhelmingly confused. This was the closest Ozai had ever come to complimenting him in his entire life.

"You aren't upset?" Zuko asked. Ozai's amber eyes flashed angrily.

"I'm furious," he answered quietly. "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, make no mistake, I will punish you." That was no idle threat, and despite himself Zuko shivered. He held his father's eyes for a long moment, and finally looked down.

"Understood…sir." Ozai smirked slightly at the acquiescence.

"Good." Ozai walked back around to his chair. "You may go." Zuko stood and headed for the door. He stopped and turned back to Ozai.

"Yes?" his father asked without looking up from his work. Zuko hesitated before he spoke.

"I have a project for school," he explained. "My partner and I have to go over a company's past performance to predict future growth prospects. I…that is, we…thought we could use Sozin for the project. If…if you'd be willing to give us the records for the past three years."

"Fine," Ozai said curtly. "I'll have the print outs for you tomorrow. Is that all?" Zuko nodded silently and Ozai dismissed him with a wave. Out in the hall, Zuko breathed a sigh of relief. The air in Ozai's office was stale and heavy. The closer he got to his room, the freer the air felt. Zuko paused outside of his door, and then kept going towards the front door. He was on the elevator before he realized he was going to Katara's apartment.

Zuko knocked on her door and waited for Katara to open the door. There was no answer, so he knocked again.

"Door's open!" Katara yelled. Frowning, Zuko let himself in. Katara was nowhere to be found in the living room or kitchen.

"Where are you?" he called.

"Bathroom!" Katara answered. "I'll be out in a minute. Make yourself comfortable." Zuko sat on a cushion and waited for the djinn. She came out a few minutes later in a cloud of steam. She was in comfortable looking loose pants and a tee shirt, her hair falling loose and damp down her back.

"So, what brings you down?" she asked, sitting on the cushion next to Zuko.

"You should really keep the door locked," he said. Katara just waved him off.

"_You_ should really not worry so much," she replied. "I figured it was you." Zuko's frowned deepened.

"You didn't _ know_ it was me?"

"I'm a djinn, Zuko," Katara huffed, "I'm not all knowing. But who else could it be?"

"It _could_ have been some psycho murderer," Zuko retorted. "Or my sister." Katara smiled, feeling very amused at Zuko's grumpy chastisement.

"I trust the security in this building a bit more than you do, apparently. Besides, I can take care of myself." Then, to Zuko's immense surprise, Katara waved her hand in front of her and the water was drawn from her hair into a globe above her palm. With a swift motion of her hands, the water split into five sharp icicles and went flying across the room, melting back into harmless water before it hit the wall.

"Wow…" Zuko murmured, impressed. "Can all djinn do that?" Katara shook her head.

"No, I learned that when I was a little girl," she explained. "I'm a waterbender."

"But…that's just a myth!" Zuko exclaimed. "Isn't it?"

"Sure, it's a myth," Katara said, laughingly. "Just like djinns." Zuko shook his head disbelievingly.

"Benders…they don't exist."

"That was the work of another djinn," Katara told him. "It was after I was turned. I wasn't around when it happened, so I don't know the whole story, but from what I understand, a non-bender wished for the ability to be gone. And then it was just…gone."

"But why?" Zuko asked. Katara shrugged.

"I don't really know. It was rare to be a bender in my day, and in my village, it was revered. But times change, I guess. You'd have to ask the guy who made the wish, or his djinn." Katara pulled the water from the floor and absently bent it over to the sink. "You didn't come here to talk about my awesome powers. What brings you?"

Zuko suddenly remembered why he was in Katara's apartment in the first place and he flushed slightly.

"I just needed to get out of my apartment for a while," he said. Katara wrinkled her nose in confusion.

"Already?" she asked. "We just got back half an hour ago."

"I had a talk a talk with my father…"

"Ah! I get it now," Katara cut in with a knowing nod. "He chewed you out some more." Zuko shook his head.

"Not exactly…" he started hesitantly. "He almost…complimented me." A strange look came across Katara's face.

"That's…good," she said. Zuko studied the djinn carefully.

"This is my wish coming true, isn't it?" he asked her. Katara met his eyes levelly.

"Ozai is your father, isn't he?" The question struck Zuko as odd. He nodded slowly and Katara smiled brightly. "That settles that then."

She hopped up off of her cushion and went to the kitchen and started preparing tea. Zuko found himself frowning once more as he watched her over the low wall that separated the living room and kitchen. Her reply didn't feel like a straight answer, but he wasn't sure why.

"Do you want tea, too?" Katara asked, glancing over her shoulder. "I don't really have anything else…"

"No," Zuko said quickly. "I should get back. I have some homework to finish." Katara snorted and rolled her eyes as she set the tea leaves to steep in the water.

"Bookworm," she muttered. Zuko paused at her door and looked back at her. Katara was leaning across the low wall and looking at him strangely.

"What?" Zuko asked. Katara shook her head slowly.

"I was just wondering," she said. "Why you think are you so desperate for Ozai's approval." Zuko stared at her, stunned. He was searching for a response when Katara's tea pot let out a low whistle. She jumped off the wall and disappeared in the kitchen. Zuko heard her fussing around with her tea cups and assumed the conversation was over. That was fine with him, because he didn't know how to answer her question. Of course he wanted Ozai's approval. He was his father.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

Gyatso was furious. The Mechanist's letter of resignation lay open on his desk before him. It said he was leaving to spend some time with his sick son.

"What a pile," Gyatso muttered angrily. He knew Teo. The boy was paraplegic, but that was the extent of his infirmities. He was on his way to being as intelligent his father and was as well-adjusted as any child. He didn't need extra attention. Gyatso knew what was going on, he was certain. Although it pained him to think that his friend could be so mercenary.

Gyatso sighed and sorted through the rest of the papers in the folder that the Mechanist sent to him. The plans for the car were included, but it was a hallow victory. It would take time to find an engineer who would be able to helm the project a halfway as competently as the Mechanist. Finding anyone who could actually do what the Mechanist did was an impossibility that Gyatso didn't want to think about for too long. He ran a hand across his face agitatedly and stared at the phone on his desk. The Mechanist hadn't answered any of the times Gyatso had called, and there was no reason to believe he would answer this time. Gyatso stopped with his hand over the dial pad. Perhaps, he thought, it was time for a new approach. He reached into his desk and pulled out a small, simple jar with a lid carved into the likeness of a sky bison.

"Aang, are you there?" Gyatso called. A silvery mist poured out of the jar and solidified into a young boy of about sixteen or seventeen. The boy smiled and bowed slightly.

"How can I help you, Gyatso?"

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-


End file.
